Conceit and Chauvinism
by luvnote4u
Summary: All of Forks is talking because of the new, rich family in town. What does this mean for the three Swan daughters--Alice, Bella, and Jessica? The story of Pride and Prejudice with a Twilight twist. AH Read and Review please.
1. Chapter 1

**Author Note:** I'm taking some liberties with both plots (Twilight and Pride and Prejudice). I'm very excited about this story and hope you all will enjoy it. Without further ado, read and review!

**Chapter 1**

Forks, Washington was a tiny, inconsequential town smack-dab in the middle of the Pacific Northwest. Under a near constant cover of clouds and showers of rain, the most this little town ever had to discuss was the weather, which was wet. End of story. As it was, rain was just beginning to trickle from the sky, pitter-pattering on the roofs of the homes of the good people of Forks. It was still considerably early for a Saturday morning; yet one Forks teenager was already up, sitting on the sofa in her living room, immersed in her copy of _The_ _Count of Monte Cristo_. So involved was she in her novel that she scarcely noticed her mother coming in the front door, dripping wet with groceries in hand.

"Good morning, Bella," Renée Swan said, pecking her middle daughter on the forehead as she came into the house. "You're up early."

"Morning, mom. And, yeah. The rain woke me up so I thought I'd do some leisurely reading." She marked her place in the book and went into the kitchen to help put away the groceries.

"That darn rain," Renée murmured conspiratorially to her daughter as she stashed the canned goods in the cupboard. It was no secret that she and Bella detested the rain. However, Forks was the only home anyone in their family had ever known. Besides, what was love without a little give and take?

"That darn rain," Bella agreed quietly as her father, Charlie trudged down the stairs.

"Morning, Bells. Morning, honey," he said, kissing Bella and then his wife on the cheek. "Went to the store, I see. Did you happen to pick up some chips and dip? Billy and Jacob were coming over later for the Mariners game."

"Right here," Bella said, holding up several bags of various chips for her father to see. She stowed them on the shelf and began putting away the refrigerator items. Charlie nodded, apparently pleased that he did not have to go to the store himself, sat at the kitchen table and began to look over the newspaper.

"Hey, mom, where'd you put the cook book? I want to make waffles but I can't find the recipe anywhere." Bella shuffled all the items around where the book in question should have been.

"Oh, I put it in the cupboard under the sink," her mother answered absently as she sipped her doctored coffee.

Bella shook her head, miffed, and asked, "Why did you—?" But then she thought it better not to ask. Her mother was not known for her predictability.

Charlie snickered to himself while Bella began mixing the ingredients together. Soon, waffles were cooking on the iron and the air became fragrant with the sweet scent. It wafted upstairs, alerting the other two Swan daughters to wake up and come downstairs for breakfast.

The eldest daughter, Alice, was down the stairs first, her movements graceful and fluid compared to Bella, whose equilibrium left much to be desired. Alice was indisputably the prettiest of the Swan girls. She was very petite and possessed delicate features. Her hair was inky, pixie like, and contrasted brilliantly with her ivory skin. She had her mother's blue eyes, which were framed in thick lashes.

Bella was only a year younger than Alice was, although she behaved beyond her years—beyond her parents' years…or at least her mother's. Like her elder sister, Bella had dark hair that contrasted against her milky pallor. However, her hair was long and thick, hanging halfway down her back, and her eyes were brown like her father's eyes. She would not have considered herself tall yet she towered over Alice.

Groggily, the youngest—and only by two years—Jessica made her way into the kitchen. Like her sisters, she had the same extreme coloring. Her hair was curly like their father and her eyes were blue like their mother. In height, she was closer to Alice than Bella. However, her wild curls often made up for the lost inches.

The family took their typical seats around the small dining table while Bella put some hot waffles onto a plate to serve. They each grabbed two and stacked them on their plates, buttering them and then dousing them in maple syrup. For a while, they all ate in silence. Bella had only just joined them when Renée spoke.

"Charlie," she began, "you know that gorgeous house a couple miles out of town that looks like it's at least a century old and yet it is still in mint condition?"

Charlie's brows furrowed for a moment as he chewed. "Uh huh," he finally said.

She continued, "Well, apparently, it was sold. The new family is supposed to move in _today_."

"Really?" Charlie said, sipping his coffee. "And where did you hear that?" Bella scrutinized his expression. He seemed much more amused than necessary. He winked inconspicuously at her. She smirked.

"While I was at the store this morning. I ran into Mr. Weber; he told me all about it. I guess some doctor liked the place and bought it on the spot. Carlisle something…"

"Cullen," Charlie responded. Bella's smirk broke into a grin; Jessica and Alice glanced at their father, confused.

"Dad, you're holding out on us," Jessica accused. Renée glared significantly at her husband, clearly asking him to clarify where he attained such information.

"I already met the man," Charlie said, pleased by the expressions on the girls' faces.

"When?"

"Well, you know how Harry Clearwater had that heart surgery," he began.

"Oh, yes. How is he doing?"

"He's fine. So, anyways, I was over at the hospital visiting him, and it just so happens that Dr. Snow was showing Dr. Cullen around the place. Well, he introduced the two of us and we got to talking."

"Well, what's he like?" Alice asked curiously.

"He's a very nice gentleman," Charlie said. "He's married but no kids…yet. However, he and his wife are currently the legal guardians of three kids—his wife's niece and nephew and his godson."

"How old are they?" Jessica asked. Bella snorted at how her little sister sat up straighter in her seat at the mention of the words _nephew_ and _godson_.

"Well, let me think…I believe the niece and nephew are twins—eighteen years old. They'll be seniors like Alice. And the godson is seventeen, so he'll be a junior like Bells." Jessica scowled for a minute and then perked up at the idea of _older_ men.

"Do you think we should go over and help out…?" Renée asked as she rinsed her plate in the sink.

"Honey," Charlie said, "give them some time to settle in. Let them adjust. And then you can overwhelm them with your hospitality." His smile was amused as he kissed his wife's pouting face.

"Fine," she replied, resigned. "Can I at least drop by a house warming present? Cookies, for example?"

Charlie pondered this for a moment. "I suppose that won't hurt. Just try not to bother them too much," he said, grinning mischievously.

"Mom," Alice said, putting her hand on her mother's shoulder, "you probably should let Bella make the cookies. Remember last time?" Renée scowled at being reminded of what a poor cook she was.

"Okay," she sighed. "Will _you_ bake some cookies for the Cullens, Bella?"

"Sure," her daughter replied. "No problem."

"Okay then. Bella made breakfast so Jessica and Alice have dish duty." The family dispersed from the table, each heading to their own employments—Jessica grumbling as she completed hers.

As soon as breakfast dishes were cleared from the tiny kitchen, Bella set out the chips and dip for when Billy and Jacob would arrive later. Then, she started mixing up a batch of chocolate chip cookies. The doorbell rang just as the last of the batch came out of the oven.

"Billy! Jacob! Come on in," Charlie said, beckoning in the family friends. Billy Black and Charlie had been friends for years. Now Billy was wheelchair bound and relied on his son for primary transportation. Jacob was Jessica's age and once upon a time, Jessica had a thing for him. However, she was mortally offended by Jacob's blatant indifference to everything that interested her. They did not get along too well; however, he was quite close to Bella and Alice.

"Charlie, my man, how are you doing?" Billy said in his gravely voice. He handed him a six-pack of beer for the game as Jacob pushed him into the house.

"Wow, it smells great in here," Jacob commented, sniffing the air, savoring the smell of fresh cookies.

"That would be Bells. She's making some cookies for the new doctor's family who bought that house just off the highway."

"Really? That house finally sold?" Billy asked offhandedly, settling himself in for the baseball game.

The men's chattering died away as the game began. Jacob entered into the kitchen where Bella was washing the cookie sheets. Silently, he reached for a cookie, but Bella was faster.

"Paws off!" she said, playfully swatting his hand. "Those aren't for you."

"Ah, c'mon, Bells. Just one? Please?" he fixed his face into a puppy-dog expression. Her answering scowl melted under such persuasion. He grinned happily and took a manful bite out of the gooey cookie, moaning appreciatively at the flavor. Bella shook her head slightly and went back to scrubbing the baking sheets.

"Jacob!" Alice called, bounding gracefully into the kitchen.

"Shorty!" Jacob reached out to Alice who wrapped her arms around his waist in a friendly embrace. He rumpled her already spiky hair and laughed at her enthusiasm. He looked almost as if he doubled her in height.

"So are you guys going to watch the game with us?" Jacob asked, nodding in the direction of the living room.

"No," Alice answered. "I promised to take Jessica to Port Angeles to go shopping. We may be gone all day."

"Ah, that's right. Jessica can't stand to be in the same building as me." Jacob laughed. "How about you, Bells? You up for some baseball?"

Bella smiled wryly at her gargantuan friend and said, "No. I have a ton of homework this weekend. Besides…you know how I am when it comes to sports." Because of her inability to participate in sports, Bella never truly had the patience to sit on a sofa and watch them either. Jacob nodded knowingly, dipping his hand in a bag of corn chips and dipping one in the nacho sauce next to him.

"Well, I probably should get in there. Talk to you guys later." He loped out of the kitchen and into the living room where a ruckus could be heard. Apparently, the opposing team had just scored a homerun.

Alice called up the stairs to Jessica, saying that she was ready to go. Jessica came down a moment later, her face painted with makeup despite the pouring rain. Alice and Bella raised their brows at their sister, who glared back and said, "What? There might be cute guys; I want to look my best." She smiled innocently and they all had to laugh.

"Okay, let's get going before all the _cute guys_ disappear." Alice chuckled again as she shrugged into her jacket. Jessica followed, flushing. As she passed the living room, she heard Jacob snicker pointedly. Her answering glare almost sent chills down his spine.

Bella stood—now alone—in the kitchen. With the boys occupied watching the game, her mother running errands, and her sisters away to Port Angeles for the day, she felt a little bored. Not wanting to start the pile of homework waiting for her in her room, she decided to deliver the cookies herself. She piled a little more than a dozen onto a plate, wrapped them in cling-wrap and scrawled a quick note on a Post-It, welcoming the Cullens to Forks, from the Swans. She called to her father, explaining where she was going—although, he only half heard her—and headed out the door herself.

The highway was deserted, for the most part, as she slowly rounded the curves in her ancient Chevy. The rain interfered with her radio's reception, which was just as well; she needed to concentrate on finding the turn off.

Everyone in Forks knew relatively where the road branched off into a smaller, gravel drive, leading towards the Cullens' new abode. However, because it was seldom used, the drive had become overgrown with vegetation, ivy and ferns creeping along the wash, obscuring it from drivers on the road, drivers like Bella. She squinted through the rain, trying to see the tiny road. She would have missed it entirely if it had not been for the moving truck, exiting the drive fifty yards ahead of her.

She rounded the turn and crept up the gravel drive. There was no doubt in her mind that the Cullens would hear her thunderous truck, even over the roar of the wind and rain, her truck's engine could be heard half a mile away. She shrugged. Well, she thought, at least they know I'm here. Killing the engine, she donned her hood and trudged out into the rain. She did not have a chance to gaze at the splendor of the house; rain would have pelted her face.

The inside of the house seemed still. Shielded from the rain on the wrap-around porch, Bella could make out the living room through the window. The interior was various shades of white and off white. The back wall seemed to be made entirely of glass overlooking the river. Off to the side on an elevated platform was a graceful grand piano. Aside from a few pieces of furniture, the room was filled with brown cardboard boxes.

Bella stood for a minute, contemplating what course of action she should take. On the one hand, it would seem strange just to leave the cookies without notifying the family that they were there but then again, she was not the type to take the first step in meeting strangers. In the end, she chose to mix the two actions, ringing the doorbell, which chimed melodically at her, leaving the plate, and heading back to her truck.

Little did Bella know, a pair of bright green eyes, spied her as she ducked her head into the safety of her Chevy and drove away.

--

The following day would prove to be quite dull for the Swan household. That is, until mid-afternoon when an unexpected knock on their door interrupted their various employments.

Charlie and Billy Black were flipping halfheartedly through the television channels, trying to find a game that would strike their interest. Renée was absorbed in her new paperback romance novel while Alice and Jessica were gleaning fashion magazines, looking for the next big trend. Bella was in the kitchen, chopping peppers for the enchiladas she was making for dinner.

All six heads swiveled to the door when the soft knock sounded in the house. Alice, glancing out the window, said, "Dad, why is there a black Mercedes in the driveway?"

Charlie jumped to his feet and stumbled to the door. Four curious pairs of eyes bored into his back—Bella had not yet left the kitchen.

Two people stood on the front stoop of the Swans' tiny house—a man and a woman. The man smiled congenially from under their umbrella. "Chief Swan," he said, his voice warm and comforting. The woman next to him smiled politely, eyeing Charlie with casual interest.

"Dr. Cullen!" Charlie exclaimed in surprise. He hurriedly moved from the doorway, gesturing for them to come inside and out of the rain.

"Please, call me Carlisle," the doctor said in the front entry. By now, each of the Swan girls was poking her head around the corner to get a better view of their guests. Renée was the first to enter, smiling welcomingly to the newcomers.

"To what do we owe this honor?" she said, taking their hands.

"We just wanted to stop by and to personally thank you for the cookies your family left for us," Carlisle replied.

"And to return your plate," the woman behind him added, handing the dish to Renée.

"Um…yeah. This is my wife, Renée," Charlie said, gesturing to his wife. "And these little eavesdroppers are my daughters, Alice, Bella, and Jessica." He nodded to each of the girls as he said their name.

"I'm Carlisle and this is my wife, Esme," the doctor said to the ladies. Bella noted their appearances silently. Carlisle had pale blonde hair and hazel—almost gold—eyes. Even his skin seemed to glint with golden hue despite the obvious fairness in tone. His wife had caramel colored waves that gracefully framed her face. Her eyes were just a shade lighter than the color of dark chocolate but retained the same richness. The apples of her cheeks were lightly flushed and her smile benign. Everything about her screamed "sweet."

"It's nice to meet you," Alice said, joining her parents in the now crowded foyer. Jessica followed her sister while Bella remained in the kitchen doorway.

"Hey, Charlie," Billy called, "Why don't you invite them to stay for dinner? I found a basketball game that looks interesting if they want to watch."

"Yes," Renée agreed. "Why don't you stay for a while? I'm sure there's enough dinner to go around…if you don't mind all of us eating in the living room. I'm afraid our kitchen can't hold eight people at one time," she said sheepishly.

"Oh, we really couldn't possibly intrude on your family like that," said Esme.

"Oh, of course you can!" Renée replied. "It's no trouble at all."

"Actually, I have to feed the kids at home. You know how teenagers are when they're hungry," Esme laughed.

"Well, then how about you stay for a cup of coffee?" Charlie offered.

Carlisle shrugged and said, "I don't see any problem with that. The kids are out exploring right now so they won't be back for a while. They can fend for themselves until we get back."

Bella quickly started brewing the coffee while the adults convened in the living room. She could hear them exchange greetings with Billy and the game he had spoken of in the background. Overall, her first impression of the family was quite positive.

"They seem so nice!" Alice whispered as she helped fill the mugs with the steaming brew.

"Let's hope their kids are like that," Bella murmured, carrying the coffee out to her parents and their guests.

"I must get the recipe for those cookies," Bella heard Esme say as she entered the living room. "Honestly, I have never seen the boys gobble down anything so fast. They practically licked the plate clean," she chortled.

"Yes, Esme, Rosalie and I were lucky not to have had our fingers bitten off, let alone getting a single one. They were delicious," Carlisle added.

"Well your guess is as good as ours when it comes to that recipe. Bella customizes it herself; she won't share it with anyone. Not that it would help if she did. No one in our family can cook quite like she can." Charlie beamed paternally at Bella who flushed from the praise.

Carlisle appraised Bella momentarily and said, "You must be the girl who rang our doorbell then?" Bella's eyes met his in surprise; he continued, "My godson, Edward, said he saw a girl with long, brown hair leaving the house just after the bell rang." He half smiled as the blush in her cheeks deepened. "We wondered why you didn't stay around. We could have used the extra muscle." At that, they all laughed.

"I didn't want to intrude. I figured you'd all want some room to breathe before every nosy member of the Forks community engulfed your house."

"That was very considerate of you," said Esme. "Next time, however, feel free to stop in. You're more than welcome. All of you."

"What are the names of the kids you take care of?" Jessica asked, hardly able to conceal her interest.

"Well, I mentioned my godson's name is Edward. He'll be a junior…like Bella, if I'm not mistaken. And then, our niece and nephew's names are Rosalie and Jasper. They will be seniors like Alice."

"What grade are you in, Jessica?" Esme asked politely.

"I'm a sophomore," she answered promptly. She seemed proud of this fact, proud no longer to be among the fresh meat at Forks High.

"Ah, you're a year older than my goddaughter," Carlisle said.

"Goddaughter?" Charlie asked, perplexed. "I thought you just had the three."

"Rosalie, Jasper and Edward live with us but we are also the guardians of Edward's little sister, Renesmee. She would have moved with us, however, she received a scholarship to an all girls' boarding school; she really wanted to go and when it's free…well, we couldn't say no. The separation has been the hardest on Edward, I think." His godson's pain seemed to cause Carlisle a great deal of distress as well, though, he kept it well hidden.

"May I ask, how did you come to be the guardians of all these teenagers?" Billy asked. "What with you two being so young and all…."

"Rosalie and Jasper are my brother's children," Esme replied, "I was only eighteen when he and his wife died but I was their only close relative. I couldn't possibly say no. It's strange to think that I am only ten years older than they are." She shook her head at the bizarre twist life had thrown at her.

"How did you manage to support two kids at such a young age?" Renée inquired, befuddled by Esme's circumstances.

"Well, schooling was definitely tough. I had to complete my generals at the community college and then apply for a ton of student loans in order to get my degree in interior design. Luckily, my parents were the type to be tightwads when they were alive and had raised me to do the same. I had a relatively substantial college fund that made a remarkable difference."

"And what about Edward and Rene…smee?"

"My best friend's children," Carlisle explained. "Edward Masen Senior was actually the CEO of a small but growing company. When he and Elizabeth had Edward, they named me his godfather…and again with Nessie. When they died they specifically stated in their will that I be their legal guardian. This caused a bit of a stir among the family since they have an uncle who is the CEO of his own company and wanted to keep them around for his own bizarre reasons," Carlisle chuckled. "The man is positively medieval. He is a firm believer in keeping wealth within the family and arranged marriages and what not. I feel sorry for his daughter, Tanya."

Bella's brow puckered as she digested this information. She could see she was not the only one puzzled by all this. Her expression was mirrored in the faces of her sisters. The front door opened and a husky voice called into the living room.

"Hey what's with the Mercedes in the driveway? Whosever it is, I'm majorly jealous." Jacob Black shook his long, raven hair as he entered the room. His eyes glanced at Bella and Alice, passed over Jessica, and landed on Dr. and Mrs. Cullen. "Hi," he said confused, but brightly. "I guess you guys are the owners of that Mercedes, huh? I'm Jacob, by the way…Billy's son."

"I'm Carlisle and this is my wife Esme. It's nice to meet you, Jacob."

"You too." He turned to Bella. "So, Bells, I walked in here and I got this major whiff of enchiladas. I got to tell ya, my stomach is growling at the thought of them. Are they almost done?"

Bella smiled at the same time Esme frowned. "I'm sorry!" she said. "We're keeping you from your supper. Thank you so much for your hospitality. Perhaps, when my family is settled in, you all could join us for dinner at our house?"

It was impossible to say no to such a kind face—not that anyone wanted to; Esme was irresistibly charming. "That sounds wonderful," Renée said as she saw the Cullens to the door. They donned their raincoats—simple in design yet sophisticated—and braved the pouring rain. Charlie waved at them from the window.

They ate in the living room as Renée had said they would. While the majority chattered away happily—mostly about their new acquaintances—Bella chewed quietly, pondering her observations and the information the Cullens provided about their family. She, like her sisters, was naturally curious about their new classmates and anxious to meet them, yet she had a strange feeling in the pit of her stomach. It felt like something _big_ was going to happen. She just did not know what, yet.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Pride and Prejudice or Twilight. Read and Review. Please.

**Chapter 2**

The Swan sisters had no idea what to expect the following morning. Each was curious as to whether or not Rosalie, Jasper, and Edward would appear in school or if they would wait until they were more settled in. The strange sensation that plagued Bella's stomach the previous evening returned, making her feel sick. Alice noticed her sister's discomfort but said nothing. There was an understanding between the two of them that if one did not want to talk about, the other did not ask.

Jessica, meanwhile, was completely psyched for the possibility of some new "eye candy." She was utterly convinced that Dr. and Mrs. Cullen's foster children were as good looking as their foster parents appeared to be.

"C'_mon_!" she exclaimed when her sisters shook their heads doubtfully. "You saw Esme. She looked like a model. I'll bet my lunch money that Jasper and Rosalie are just as good looking as she is. Obviously, there's no way of knowing what Edward will look like since he's not blood-related and all. But if he were ugly, don't you think Carlisle would have fixed that? I mean, he _is_ a doctor."

Her sisters merely exchanged glances in response.

"Good morning, Daddy," Alice said, prancing into the kitchen. She twirled around, silently asking her father's opinion of her ensemble.

"Very pretty, Alice. As always." He sipped his coffee.

Alice's lips pursed ever so slightly when she did not hear more enthusiasm for her masterpiece. "Where's mom?" she asked. Renée would give her the amount zeal necessary. Fathers just did not know how to appreciate fashion.

"She had to get to the elementary school early today. She asked me to tell you girls to have a great day at school." He seemed oblivious to Alice's disappointment in his reaction.

"Morning, Dad," Bella said absently as she sat next to her father to eat her cold toast. Bella did not make quite as big an effort in how she was dressed. Her hair was braided down her scalp and she wore a blue, flannel shirt and jeans. Her face was completely devoid of makeup.

Jessica joined them moments later, her mood bright with anticipation. "Morning, Daddy." She pecked her father on the cheek; he turned beet red.

"You're in a good mood, Jess," he commented.

"Who wouldn't be with two new boys at school?" she asked, as if that was obvious. Although she clearly meant it to be rhetorical, she found herself able to answer her own question. "Well," she said, "I guess _Bella_ would still be in a crappy mood. She must be moping because the ugly one is going to be in her class."

Bella rolled her eyes as Charlie's brows puckered. "What makes you think Edward is going to be ugly?" he challenged.

"Oh, I don't," Jessica stated. "But next to Jasper, I'm sure he's going to be plain." She offered no further explanation. Charlie sat frozen in his seat, baffled by Jessica's words. Alice and Jessica hurried to eat their breakfast, Alice taking delicate bites, Jessica being a little less than lady-like. As soon as they were done eating, they hurried out the door.

"Okay," Charlie muttered. Bella was following her sisters when he said, "Are you okay, Bells? You seem off this morning."

Bella forced a smile that looked almost painful. "I'm fine, Dad. I'll see you later." With that, she closed the front door behind her.

"It's my turn to drive," Jessica argued. She and Alice were standing in front of their second hand Toyota. Generally, it was Alice's car to use, however, the three of them shared it when going to school, taking turns driving.

Alice responded to her sister in a calm, controlled voice. "No, you drove last Friday. It's my turn, Jess. Be reasonable."

Bella, not in the mood for their banter, interjected, "I have a number between one and ten. The first one to get it on the dot gets to drive. Loser sits in the backseat without complaint."

"Fine," Jessica said, "three."

"Eight."

"Five."

"Seven."

"Alice is correct. Jess, give her the keys." Bella made her way to the shotgun position and threw her bag on the floor in front. Jessica grumbled, despite their agreement, as she handed her sister the keys and slid into the backseat. Alice, elated by her victory of chance, clambered behind the wheel and revved the engine.

Forks High School was like most buildings in town—just off the highway. It was not like typical high school edifices, which seemed to radiate a sense of institution. Forks High looked more like a collection of small, red brick houses—one for each educational concentration. Bella, in particular, felt that that arrangement was impractical, considering the weather. It was incredibly unpleasant, walking into class, feeling soaked to the bone.

They pulled into a parking stall close to the cafeteria. Because of the constant precipitation Forks received, this position was highly coveted by those who did not wish to get wet. Bella and Alice exchanged a glance. Even little gestures like this between sisters was enough to make Bella feel a little better, her strange anxiety ebbing. The weather, however, was only misting at the moment; but off on the horizon, more substantial rain clouds were moving in.

"Bella!" a kind voice called. Angela Weber was a junior like Bella. She was long and lean, with blonde hair stopping at her shoulders. Her shy disposition naturally gravitated Bella to her, who also possessed an equally introverted nature.

"Angela," Bella said, grinning at her friend. The four girls congregated around the Swans' Toyota, leaning against the side of the vehicle.

"They're here," Angela said. There was no question as to whom she meant.

"Where?" Jessica asked eagerly. Her eyes scanned the clusters of students trickling onto the campus. "I don't see anyone new."

Angela subtly pointed across the lot. "They drove that Volvo to school. They're in the office now but they'll probably be coming out soon." The Volvo in question was sleek, silvery and shiny. Bella surmised that it was probably brand new, a year old at most.

"Nice ride," a deep voice said appreciatively. The girls turned to face Emmett, the senior class clown and All-American athlete. He was a brawny fellow, dark curly hair and dimples in his cheeks. He and Alice had been friends since they were in kindergarten. He leaned against his Jeep nonchalantly, appraising the shiny car with a lustful eye.

"Guess we shouldn't be surprised," Jessica muttered. "They _do_ live with a doctor."

At that moment, the front office doors opened.

It felt like something out of a mediocre teen movie. As the doors swung open, the three figures exiting were bathed in a heavenly glow, wind blowing their hair away from their faces and their strides long and sure. The two boys flanked the girl as she strutted in her designer heels towards her first class. All bystanders' jaws dropped, including Alice, Bella, Jessica, Angela, and Emmett. The Cullens' foster children were incontestably beautiful.

It was easy to decipher who was who among the newcomers. Rosalie had glossy, golden tendrils, spiraling down her back. Her face was heart shaped, her eyes a deep blue bordered by dark lashes, and her lips full and red. She was statuesque, possessing a body like those in Victoria's Secret advertisements.

Her brother had the same texture and color of hair but his eyes were a shade lighter than hers. He was muscular and tall. Emmett muttered to himself that Jasper would look slight next to him.

Edward, although entirely different from his companions, was equally striking. His skin was fairer than Rosalie and Jasper's skin. His hair was a messy disarray of bronze locks. His eyes were a supple green and their expression was one of brooding. His facial features were unfeasibly symmetrical. He was leaner than Jasper, a runner's body next to, perhaps, a wrestler's body.

They were each dressed elegantly—simple yet sophisticated. Jasper wore a white, fitted jacket over a gray, cashmere sweater and jeans. Rosalie was garbed in a violet knit shirt, dark blue, fitted jeans, and a silver scarf knotted around her swan-like neck. Edward had a beige leather jacket and white sweater on over top a pair of kakis. Each of their ensembles suggested designer origins.

"Oh," Alice murmured.

"My," Bella whispered.

"God." Emmett's voice rang loud and clear.

"Told you," Jessica snickered. "Pay up."

The Cullen clan passed the cluster a moment later. Simultaneously, their eyes swiveled in their direction. Jasper's eyes seemed to be magnetically drawn to Alice; his lips pulled up in the corners when she met his gaze. Rosalie gave the group a once over, appearing to be uninterested in their attentions. Her gaze lingered on Emmett a second longer than the others, however. He seized the opportunity and winked at her. Edward managed to maintain the exact same expression he wore before he glanced towards the onlookers. When his eyes met Bella's inquisitive stare, however, he flickered his eyes forward again.

"Oh, wow," Jessica murmured with hushed fervor when they passed. "They are like…_wow_."

"Damn," Emmett said appreciatively. "That girl is a fine piece of work."

Alice rolled her eyes but was unable to stop a smile from creeping onto her face. Bella remained dazed, puzzled by Edward's reaction to her. "That was weird," she said quietly to Alice as they walked to class.

"What was?"

"You didn't see?" How could she not have seen? It seemed so obvious to Bella. She then realized that Alice had been a wee bit preoccupied.

"No," she said. "But I have to get to Calculus." She rolled her eyes. "I'll save you a seat at lunch."

Bella and Angela were intercepted by little Ben Cheney, Angela's boyfriend. A long time ago, Ben had a misguided infatuation with Bella. She, however, had no particular interest in him. Their relationship was unclouded by her rejection, though. Almost as soon as she gave him a flat no, he moved on to Angela. Now, it seemed strange to imagine one without the other. They seemed like a perfect match for one another, even though Angela was a whole six inches taller.

The entire morning, Bella listened to snippets of gossip about their new classmates (most of which was far off the mark based on what Carlisle and Esme had said). She tried to ignore it, but in truth, she was every bit as curious about them as her peers were. She also was secretly hoping to walk into one of her classes and see Edward there. The way he turned away from her, oddly enough, had her fascinated. She wanted to decipher what that look meant.

As the bell rang, dismissing the students for lunch, Bella walked into the cafeteria, searching for her sister's inky halo but also secretly looking for the objects of everyone's attention that day. To her utter surprise, she found both sitting at the same table, Alice chatting animatedly to the blonde boy on her left. Alice looked up and waved Bella over.

Nervously, Bella stumbled over to her usual table, seating herself beside her sister. There were three new additions to their dining party.

"Bella," Alice said sweetly, "this is Jasper Hale, his sister, Rosalie, and Edward Masen." Jasper beamed, taking Bella's hand and shaking it firmly. Rosalie smiled politely but her eyes seemed to be measuring Bella like a cobra measuring its prey. Edward nodded once but failed to acknowledge her further.

"It is such a pleasure to meet you," said Jasper. "Alice was just telling us about you. You, uh, you made those cookies that your family left for us the other day, right?"

"Yes." Bella flushed.

"My compliments then! And I speak for the whole family when I say you need either to give us your recipe or make another dozen because they were fantastic. Truly."

Laughing nervously, she said in reply, "Okay then. Sure. But I _will_ have to charge you this time."

Jasper's face fell ever so slightly. "Oh. Of course. How much do you want for a dozen?"

"I was just joking. Seriously, it's no big deal. I'll bring some over to you guys next time I make them, which may be soon. I know my friend Jacob has been getting on me to mix up some for him."

Edward's eyes snapped up to Bella in that instant. There was something so haughty in his expression that her chin jerked up slightly in defense. Their silent stand off lasted only for a second; it was broken by Jessica's piercing voice.

"No _freaking_ way!" Bella flinched at the sound of her sister's voice.

Jessica and her sidekick, Lauren, were on the other end of the cafeteria when they caught sight of the eldest Swan sisters eating with the hottest (in this case, literally) gossip in school. They now half sprinted over to their table, hoping to catch the eye of one of the new boys. Alice grimaced at their artless transparency while Bella sunk slowly into her chair.

"Hi, I'm Jessica—Alice and Bella's sister."

"And I'm Lauren!" The two girls tried to smile alluringly.

"You must be Jasper, Rosalie, and Edward," Jessica continued without missing a beat. She offered her hand to each of them, which they accepted politely in turn, Jasper seeming to be the only genuinely pleased by their presence. Noticing the vague attachment that had already seemed to form between her sister and Jasper, Jessica said, "So there's a dance this Saturday; it's supposed to be semiformal. Are you planning to go?"

"Umm…I don't know actually. What do you think, Ed? Wanna go?"

Edward looked up from the bagel he was formulaically tearing apart with his fingertips. "I guess. I don't care one way or another." His indifference irked Jessica for obvious reasons and Bella for reasons that evaded even her own mind.

"Well," Jessica said, speaking only to Jasper, "if you do go, you should totally ask Alice to dance with you. I'm sure you'll have a _great_ time." Both Alice and Jasper flushed at the insinuation. "See you later," she called, turning on her heel and striding away with Lauren tailing behind her.

--

Rain streaked down the windows of the Biology room. Bella was staring forlornly out the pane nearest her, a slight crease forming between her brows. A quiet sigh escaped her lips. Frowning again, she returned to the star doodle that covered the back cover of her notebook. She paid little attention to the pattern her pen traced, however. Her mind was pondering the events that had followed Jessica's exit at lunch.

Rosalie had joined the discussion shortly, asking if Alice had a dress to wear to the dance, and if not, if she would like to borrow something. Alice had been delighted by Rosalie's offer, not catching the condescending air she possessed as she made it. Bella shook her head at Alice's willful blindness; all the world was good and agreeable in her eyes. Despite her pleasure in the "kindness" of Rosalie's proposition, Alice declined it, saying she had found a dress that would work perfectly for the occasion. With that, the two of them launched into a discussion about what exactly constituted as "semiformal" while Jasper sat, silently, and unconsciously admiring the way Alice's lips moved as she spoke. Bella contributed to the conversation when she felt it necessary but it was not often. Edward did not say another word.

Bella was not cynical by nature. Like Alice, she did prefer to give people the benefit of the doubt when she felt they merited it. However, she was not so naïve as to mistake Rosalie's sneers as smiles or Edward's silence for bashfulness. His countenance was stony and indifferent. Apart from his answer to Jasper's question, he uttered not a single syllable, although it was not the last time he was addressed. Alice did not perceive his cold behavior as Bella did; she could feel that Jasper and Rosalie sensed it too; however, she did not think it bothered Rosalie in the least.

A crumpled piece of paper sailed through the air, onto Bella's table, pulling her from her reverie. She jumped, startled back into reality. Turning to see who the culprit was, a baby-faced boy with orderly spiked hair grinned at her. He lifted his hand and waved once, smirking as he did so. Her cheeks colored slightly as returned forward, biting back the oncoming grin.

The classroom was mostly filled by then. Only a few seats remained vacant, including the seat next to Bella at her table. If Mr. Banner had not been so adamant about keeping to his seating chart, Bella would have sat next to Angela who also had sixth hour Biology but was placed across the room. Or perhaps Bella could have sat with Mike Newton; he was always _friendly_ to her.

The door swung open. As if cued by a director the class' incoherent babble hushed immediately. Bella looked up from the doodle on her notepad and stared with the rest of her classmates. Edward Masen had just entered their classroom; several girls congregating by the door swooned. When her eyes landed on him, Bella was dazed momentarily by his evident beauty. He was like a bronze-haired Adonis in a raincoat. Then she took in the little details such as his expression—which was haughty—and the set of his shoulders—which were pulled back proudly. Her senses returned to her as she watched him whisper something to Mr. Banner and as he handed him a tiny piece of paper. Mr. Banner gestured in Bella's direction; her pulse quickened as Edward strode over and pulled out the chair beside her.

Bella breathed in deeply through her nose to settle herself. She knew that this arrangement would be permanent. She also knew that if she allowed her hasty judgments to affect her, this was going to be a very long year. So, in that moment, she decided that she would attempt civility towards her new lab partner. Maybe time would prove that he was not as conceited as he appeared to be. Although, she rather doubted it.

"Hi," she said quietly, inclining her head slightly in his direction.

His emerald eyes flickered to her once. "Hello." He went back to ignoring her.

The corners of Bella's mouth threatened to turn downward. She fought the urge to scowl at him by turning her attention back to Mr. Banner. Every now and then, however, she could feel _his_ eyes on her. She glanced back at Edward the first time it happened and instantly regretted it. He glared down at her with such arrogance, such superciliousness as if to convey to her how much more important he was than she was. She struggled with the desire to cringe away and stared defiantly back until Mr. Banner called them to attention and asked if there was something wrong. Simultaneously, they both answered a negative.

Bella maintained her composure as she left Biology that day. For the first—and only—time in her life, she was grateful that they were playing badminton in gym. She desperately needed a racquet in hand and something to swing at. This surprised her because she never considered herself to be a violent person. She regretted her glee for the sport. She sustained and inflicted more injuries than was typical. After Bella took a blow to the head with her own racquet, she was asked to sit out. As she watched her teammate attempt to win the match singlehandedly, she cursed Edward Masen for making her feel so crazy.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Bella never wore makeup. She wore it tonight.

Her mind wandered idly over the past few days while Alice curled and pinned her thick locks into some unnecessarily intricate hairdo atop her head. Surely, this was a bit much for a dance that was only billed as _semiformal_. That did not stop Alice, regardless how many times Bella protested. Alice smiled affectionately at her little sister, fixing her wide, pleading eyes on her and reminding her that this was her senior year and that she wanted to make the most of it with Bella at her side. Sighing, Bella acquiesced grudgingly while Alice played around with different hairstyles for her.

Bella—and to an extent Alice—had noticed a pattern the past few days. The Cullen's foster children continued to awe everyone they met. Most avoided talking to them because they were intimidated by their demeanor. However, the few who plucked up the courage to introduce themselves were immediately charmed by Jasper's infectious manners and Rosalie's unfathomable beauty. Most were muddled by Edward's decidedly cold attitude.

Not only did they continue to inspire fanatical rumors, but they also continued to dine with Alice, Bella, Angela, Ben, and Emmett each day at lunch. Emmett seemed to be the only one, aside from Alice who could easily warm anyone's heart, to make any headway with either Rosalie or Edward. Rosalie did not behave pretentiously towards him as she did to Bella or Alice and even Edward could not ignore boisterous Emmett. As a result, Bella felt like a third wheel much of the time. That is not to say no one spoke to her. She was always a part of central discussions; she just did not click well with two of the three newcomers. Rosalie always addressed Bella in a deceptively sweet manner, calling her "dear Isabella." Edward spoke to her on occasion in a muted version of the haughty boy she met that first day. She willed herself to be polite when answering him, although her quick wit got the best of her at moments, causing the majority of the table to erupt with laughter. Every time this occurred, Edward's eyes flashed angrily to hers before cooling instantly.

Apparently, Edward did not like to be teased.

The Cullens' behaviors were not the only things that remained the same the rest of the week. Jessica and Lauren made it a daily ritual to stop by to "chat" with the elder Swan sisters. Their true design was to flaunt themselves before the boys and to taunt Jasper, whose affection for Alice became quite pronounced early on. He took it rather well, all things considered. He laughed with the rest of them; only the flickering of his eyes to Alice's face gave away his discomfort.

Such were Bella's thoughts while Alice dressed Bella's hair, refusing to listen to her sister's protestations. In the end, Bella was placated. The style Alice deemed suitable was elegant, yet very simple. She twisted Bella's hair into a low, off-center bun with tendrils gracefully curling around her heart-shaped face. As for herself, Alice did very little in the way of changing her hairstyle. The only thing different from her usual pixie spikes was a pearl barrette, sweeping one side of her hair out of her face.

"There," she said, satisfied with how Bella looked. "You are almost perfect."

"Almost perfect?" Bella asked playfully. She stood up and stretched her legs; she had been sitting for an hour and was beginning to feel stiff.

"You're not wearing your dress or shoes yet," Alice replied with a shrug. "Which reminds me…"

Alice bounded to her closet and began riffling through its contents. The sound of hangers and fabric rustling was all Bella could perceive from her vantage point. When she turned, Alice had a midnight blue sweetheart dress in her arms.

"_Viola_!" She held the garment out to Bella to inspect. The dress was made of a satin like material that shimmered iridescently to reveal undertones of jade and violet. The skirt was short, coming just about the knee with a layer of gauze showing at the hem, giving the skirt just enough volume.

Bella smiled; it was a very pretty dress. Alice beamed as she read Bella's expression. "You like it?" Bella nodded. "Yay!"

"What are you wearing?" Bella asked with her back turned as she shrugged on the dress. The fabric was cool to the touch and felt more like a second skin than a dress. She sighed dreamily, her fingers grazing the smooth material.

"Nothing too extravagant," Alice replied. Bella turned to see her sister in a sleek, silver little number. For perhaps a millisecond, it reminded Bella of the stupid, shiny Volvo that was now a regular among the rusty cars of Forks High. However, she had to admit her sister looked lovely in it. It hugged Alice's petite frame elegantly and had a subtle sheen that bounced off her sister's alabaster skin, making her seem to glow.

"You look great," they said in unison and laughed.

"We should get going. The dance started an hour ago; I think it's safe to assume we are fashionably late." Alice slipped on her heels and grabbed a jacket from her closet. Bella followed her down the steps and into the living room where her parents, Jessica, and Lauren were waiting.

A series of pictures of each of the girls in their finery ensued. Mrs. Swan cooed at her daughters, saying how beautiful they each looked, paying particular compliments to Alice more than the others. Jessica and Lauren managed to throw in a few jibes at her as well, causing Bella to scowl at them while Alice's cheeks flushed. Charlie smiled sheepishly at his middle daughter; he knew that she was only going to this because Alice begged her to; he more than most understood her discomfort. When Renée was satisfied that she had enough photos to fill an entire album, she shoved the girls out the door, urging them to have a splendid time.

In the backseat, Jessica and Lauren chattered about trivial matters that would only interest girls as silly as they were. Alice conceded to let Bella drive which gave her something else to concentrate on besides the hours of humiliating dancing that she would have to face. Bella's brows puckered; she had no idea how she would escape her clumsy nature. Meanwhile, Alice sat in the front passenger seat quietly, a content smile gracing her mouth. She looked over at her sister and mouthed thanks. Bella grinned briefly in return.

The parking lot was full when they arrived at Forks High. The only available parking spot was inconveniently located next to the shiny Volvo she had been thinking about an hour ago. Resisting the impulse to scratch the glossy paint, she slid into the stall and clambered clumsily out the vehicle.

Lights and crate paper lined the path leading into the gymnasium. Bella thought wryly that this was the making of a horror movie. "Let's get this over with," she murmured, causing Alice to snicker.

"It will be _fine_," she insisted, squeezing Bella's hand gently before paying for her ticket. Bella paid as well, walking tentatively into the crowed gym.

Her gaze scanned the throng, searching for a few friendly faces. She spotted Angela swing dancing with Ben off to the side. She would speak to them later; she did not wish to interrupt their fun just then. A head of bronze caught her attention; tucked away in the corner next to the punch bowl was Edward Masen along with Rosalie and Emmett. Edward's back was towards Bella but both Emmett and Rosalie were facing towards her. Emmett caught Bella looking and winked. She smiled in return and wandered off elsewhere.

Wondering whom he had winked at, Edward turned his head to see, but Bella was already lost in the crowd.

She found Alice chatting with a very animated Jasper. His lips seemed to be under the control of puppet strings; he could not stop smiling for the life of him. This pleased Bella. It was nice to see how much he clearly liked her sister. Although not nearly as exuberant about her feelings, Bella could easily perceive Alice's regard, as well.

The thrumming tempo mellowed, transitioning into a slow, romantic ballad. To her delight, Bella watched as Jasper offered his hand to Alice. Alice took it and he led her out into the center of the dance floor. It was astounding to watch. Bella was certain that Alice was the most graceful being she had ever known; it was surprising to see how easily Jasper held his own dancing with her. Could it have been any more perfect? Bella wondered. The two most graceful people on earth find each other. A match made in teen heaven.

After about two minutes into the song, Bella felt like an awkward wallflower and decided to duck into the ladies' room for the duration of the song. What she would not give to be having a normal Saturday night, hanging out with Jacob in his garage? Instead, she was garbed in gauze and listening to sappy love songs while her sisters had a ball. Not that she begrudged them any of their fun; she just wished they would not drag her into it.

Because she was listening intently, she heard when the song returned to the more upbeat variety—the kind where gyrating hips would be more permissible than slow swaying. Bella snuck out of the restroom, eager to talk to Angela about what she observed between Alice and Jasper when she heard her sister's name uttered from the man himself.

Just around the corner were Jasper and Edward. Edward was bent over, sipping from the drinking fountain. Apparently, the punch was to his distaste. Jasper, meanwhile, was speaking in hushed, fervent tones to his adopted brother.

"She is _amazing_," he practically gushed while Edward wiped his mouth. "I have never met a more beautiful girl in my life. And she's more than just beautiful! She's smart, funny, and sweet…"

"You were dancing with the only pretty girl in the room," Edward agreed dryly.

"That's not true! Alice's sister Bella is also very pretty…and she's _single_," he hinted. From her hiding place, Bella flushed crimson.

"She is tolerable," Edward retorted, "but she is not attractive enough to tempt me." The heat in her cheeks rose as he uttered these words. Her eyes pricked angrily with tears. Silently she cursed her anger for being hardwired to her tear ducts.

"Well, listen to you!" Jasper said, shocked. "You sound like a real ass right now, you know?"

Edward sighed. "Why don't you get on back to Alice? I'm sure she would appreciate your smiles more than I do." Jasper nodded once, recovering his good humor as he left him alone.

Bella was seething right around the corner. An overpowering urge to hit something consumed her, which stunned her. Why did Edward always make her feel so violent? She sucked in a deep breath to calm herself down. Peaking around the corner, she could see that he was still standing there, observing his peers from a distance with a look of contempt, Bella decided. It had only been a second since Jasper's exit—still soon enough that the new idea that popped into her head would have a desirable effect.

Rolling her shoulders back and holding her head up high, she rounded the corner, passed Edward who stared in shock, and smirked to herself.

She could feel his eyes on her back until the horde of students engulfed her.

Angela waved at her from a small table off to the side. She sat with her feet in Ben's lap; he rubbed them diligently, gazing at her as if he was seeing the sun for the first time. Bella collapsed in the seat beside her, removing the heels Alice had precariously perched her in.

"Are you having fun?" Angela asked conversationally. Bella looked at her significantly. "Oh. I guess not." They both chuckled.

"It's more than my balance issues, unfortunately," Bella said quietly. Angela looked at her with confusion. Softly enough that Ben who was only a few feet away could not hear, she recounted all that she heard between Jasper and Edward.

"That's awful!" Angela exclaimed when Bella was through. "How could he say something like that about you?"

"Who said what about Bella?" Alice appeared beside her sister, sitting down in the vacant seat next to her. Her cheeks were rosy from dancing.

"Evidently, Edward doesn't think you did very good job on me tonight," Bella answered wryly.

Shock crossed her sister's pixie features. "Why do you say that?" Again, Bella retold the story. "Maybe you just heard wrong," Alice offered. Bella scoffed. "He couldn't have meant _you_. _You're_ beautiful, Bells."

"Thanks, Alice. But I really don't care that much. I am not particularly fond of Edward either, so it doesn't matter."

Despite their best efforts to keep the conversation private, Jessica had overheard her sisters talking. Being the gossip she was, the tale of Edward's slander spread like wildfire throughout the gymnasium. It took no time at all for the entire school's opinion of Edward Masen to solidify: he was arrogant, haughty, and had no taste in beauty.

--

It was silent in the Swan house that night. Jessica had opted to spend the night at Lauren's house so there was no late night chatter between Jessica and Renée. Charlie had gone to bed before the his elder daughters returned. Renée stayed up long enough to hear that Alice had fun with Jasper and that Bella had been slighted by Edward. Of course, she was shocked to hear this, but not as shocked as she would have been if he had slighted Alice.

Faint moonlight trickled through Bella's open window, across the bed where she lay. Try as she did, she could not sleep. Words that she did not wish to bother her echoed loudly in the back of her mind.

"_Not attractive enough to tempt me."_

"Bella?"

Bella's door creaked open, the hall light shining through the crack. A moment later, a silhouette blocked out the light. Alice crept in and padded over to her sister's bed to see if she was asleep.

"What?" Bella murmured groggily.

"Can you sleep?"

"No."

"Me neither." For very different reasons, Bella thought.

Alice crawled under Bella's covers and snuggled up to her sister like a kitten to her mother. For a stretch of time, nothing was said between the two. Finally, Alice spoke. "Do you really think he likes me?"

A snort escaped Bella. "Are you seriously asking me this?"

"Yes."

"Alice, he danced with you for half the night, and stared at you with goo-goo eyes the rest of the time. If there is any doubt in your mind, you are not half as insightful as you give yourself credit for," she teased.

"I know…it's just…I've never met anyone like him before. If I could picture what Prince Charming would look like, sound like, act like—he would be Jasper. He's everything I could have imagined. It seems unreal to think that such a person existed. You know?"

"Well, you certainly have my approval. Compared to other boys you've liked, he does seem pretty perfect. Then again, you always seem to see the good in people, never the glaringly obvious faults—all the world is good and agreeable, right?" she joked, voicing the thoughts that had been piling up all week.

"I wouldn't say that. I can't believe what Edward said about you, but I know better than to think you would lie—you're a terrible liar. So, what you said has to be true. I just never guessed that he was such a snob. If he can't see what a gem you are, he is a _fool_." Her emphasis on the word fool caused the two to shake with giggles.

"Yes, he is. But I don't intend to waste my time on someone as proud as he is. There are plenty of others out there. What Edward Masen thinks of me, does not matter in the slightest."

Before she finished speaking, Bella could hear her sister breathing deeply, evenly. Smiling warmly at her sleeping sister, she closed her eyes and drifted off into oblivion.


	4. Chapter 4

**Author Note: **This chapter took longer than I expected. I literally only had time to write maybe a sentence or two every few days. But I like how this chapter turned out. Please review! Oh, and if you have not seen New Moon yet in theaters, I highly recommend it. It was fantastic.

**Chapter 4**

The blackest form of blasphemy, in Charlie Swan's eyes, was the insulting of one of his three daughters, in particular, Bella.

The morning following the dance was surprisingly tense. It started out relatively quiet, like most Sundays are, but when Chief Swan asked his girls about their evening the previous night, he was furious. Astonished that someone could be so callus, especially when brought up by such a kind family, Charlie had half a mind to call Carlisle and ask him to _speak_ to his godson. Only after fifteen long minutes of persuasion on Bella's part, did his temper finally cool enough for him to see colors other than red. While it would have been amusing to know that Edward was being scolded by Dr. Cullen, Bella did not desire to have him know that he got under her skin. She smoothed it over with Charlie, saying that she did not think so highly of him either, and so no real harm was done. He grumbled for the remainder of breakfast and as he left to go fishing.

Renée left shortly after her husband; she was spending the day with a friend of hers from college. She promised that she would return in time for dinner. Bella and Alice exchanged a look. It felt as if they were the adults and that their mother was the teenager leaving for the day. By eleven o'clock that morning, Alice and Bella were left to their own devices.

"Bella," Alice called a while later.

"Yes?" Bella looked up from her trigonometry homework to see her sister's eyes bright with excitement.

"Guess who just called." Alice was all but bouncing in her shoes with anticipation.

"Jasper?"

Her sister's bouncing stopped. "Well, no. Not exactly. Rosalie called, actually."

"Really?" Bella said, already skeptical. "What did she want?"

"She just asked me to have lunch in Port Angeles with her." Bella continued to stare, waiting for the part that would explain why her sister was so predisposed to enthusiasm. Understanding Bella's silence, Alice continued, "This is a huge deal, Bells. Jasper told me once that the two opinions that matter most to him are Edward and Rosalie's opinions. He respects their judgment implicitly. If I can win Rosalie over at lunch then maybe my chances with Jasper would be better; he's already so far out of my league, but maybe this time with Rosalie can help close the gap a little."

Bella scoffed. "Alice, firstly, anyone who is not immediately taken with you is a complete imbecile; you're wonderful and you know it. Secondly, he is _not_ out of your league. I've never seen two people more perfect for each other. It's almost disgusting," she added jokingly.

Alice swatter her sister playfully. "So what time are you leaving, then?" Bella asked.

"Noon; she's coming to pick me up."

Glancing at the clock, Bella replied, "Well you better hop to it. If you want to impress the oh-so-important-sister then you only have thirty minutes to get ready."

Alice grinned. "Thanks."

--

Bella never minded being alone as much as most of her family. Apart from Charlie who often preferred solitude to social interaction, every other Swan would have died without someone to talk to. However, Bella never cared too much for being around people. She had her small group of companions, which included her family and a few outside friends, and she rarely deviated from her circle. This was why the silence of the Swan house did not bother her that afternoon while all her family was out on their own adventures.

What did bother her was the shrill ring of the telephone in the kitchen.

Around three o'clock, Bella was curled up in a pair of tattered sweatpants and a t-shirt, finishing her homework for English. Just as she typed the final period for her essay, the telephone shrieked at her from downstairs. Startled, she toppled from her chair, on to her hard wooden floor. Taking the stairs two at a time while simultaneously rubbing her now sore hip, she hurried to the phone, which was still ringing incessantly.

"Hello," she breathed.

"Hi, Bella. This is Jasper Hale."

A grin automatically broke across her face. "Oh, hi, Jasper! What's up?"

He seemed to hesitate on his end of the line. Then he said, "It's Alice."

She did not like the way he said that short statement. She did not like it one bit. "What's wrong?" she asked cautiously. Her mind was already flickering through various scenarios, which could prompt him to make such a grave phone call.

"I think she's sick," he said. Bella breathed a sigh of relief, cursing her mind for being too morbidly creative.

"What's wrong?" she repeated, less tense than before.

"Well, she and Rosalie went out to Port Angeles for lunch and…I don't know. I guess she might have eaten something bad because she's been throwing up a lot. She's been asking for you too. Carlisle is with her right now, but he thought I should call you and let you know."

Bella sighed and said, "I'll be there in a few to get her. See ya later, Jasper." She hung up the phone before he had the opportunity to respond.

After she had changed from her ragged sweats into something more presentable, she trudged out of the sanctuary of her house and into the ever-present rain. Her truck rumbled to life and she crept down the road. The Cullens appeared to have cleared the turn off towards their charming abode so that it was visible from the highway. This pleased Bella; she had no idea if she would be able to find it again without the help of a moving truck to signal the turn for her.

As she pulled into the grassy meadow in front of the Cullens' house, she spied a tall figure with his head ducked to avoid the rain walking up to the porch. The figure turned at the sound of her truck and stared for a moment in surprise. Bella's heart stuttered with either anger or fear; she could not discern which. Edward Masen gazed steadily at her with an unfathomable expression on his face, not seeming to notice the rain pitter-pattering against his pale face.

Bella killed the engine, sighing bitterly at her luck. To her utter surprise, Edward was at her door when she turned back, opening it for her.

"Thank you," she murmured, dazed. Unfortunately, her boot caught the lip of the door as she attempted to slide out of her vehicle and she tumbled to the ground. Luckily for her, a firm hand caught her elbow before she completed the imminent face plant; her eyes flickered to his and her cheeks burned as he frowned at her.

"Thanks," she muttered again, shying away from the close proximity.

"No problem," he said straightening up and smirking arrogantly down at her. He's back, Bella thought dryly.

"What are you doing here?" Edward asked as they half ran to the safety of the porch.

Bella answered absently while she checked herself for any bracken, "I'm here to pick up Alice." Satisfied that there was nothing on her jeans, she met his gaze…and immediately wished she had not. He was looking at her with probing eyes, as if he were trying to lift some undercurrent meaning to her words. Bella did not understand since she meant exactly what she said; she was not the one prone to being cryptic; that was his role…at least, when he ventured to speak to her.

"Oh," he finally replied. Bella shook her head in response.

"So do I have to stand out here in the rain or am I allowed to go inside and see her?"

Edward's eyes tightened reflexively but he opened the door and gestured with a flourish for her to enter first. Though neither saw it, they both rolled their eyes at the same moment.

It dawned on Bella that this was the first time she had ever been inside the Cullens' house before or after they had moved in. Instantly, the elegance of the furnishings, the openness of the floor plan, the pristine cleanliness of every nook and cranny in the house struck her. The last time she had seen the inside of that living room, she had been peering through a rain-streaked window and the room was crowded with boxes. Now she could see a sleek white sofa positioned in front of a flat screen television; Rosalie was huddled up on the corner cushion, running her fingers through her golden locks and flipping through channels indifferently; she did not turn as Bella and Edward entered the room. On the opposite wall was a raised platform, which was the home of a glossy grand piano. Bella recalled that she had seen this feature before—the only discernable feature at the time. Across the room was a staircase and on that staircase was Jasper Hale, who had just arrived on the scene.

"I thought I saw you pull up," he said to Bella.

Bella smiled easily and replied, "Yeah, that was me. So where is Alice?"

"She's upstairs." It was not Jasper who answered Bella's inquiry.

Bella glanced back at Edward, but he was already heading for the kitchen, ignoring her and his adoptive brother. Jasper merely shook his head and asked, "Shall we?" He gallantly offered his arm to her, causing her to laugh, and together they climbed up the stairs to the second floor guest room.

There was a cracked open door at the end of the hall. Bella could hear Esme and Carlisle in the room, using soothing voices while Alice groaned quietly. Bella sighed; she did not need to be able to see her sister's face to know what her expression would look like. Bella knew quite well how needlessly guilty Alice would feel for being an "imposition" on the Cullens. However, Bella understood that Alice was already a favorite with the family and that they would not think twice about her being there. Meanwhile, she also saw more clearly her sister's perspective on the matter because she would have felt the same if the roles had been reversed.

"I hear there's a sick girl in here," Bella said as entered the room. Dr. Cullen and Esme smiled welcomingly. Alice turned her head towards the source of her sister's voice. She truly looked miserable. Her normally spiky halo was matted with sweat on her forehead and her lips were pale. There was bowl sitting atop the nightstand, ready if there was a sudden necessity for it. She grimaced at Bella.

Turning to Carlisle, Bella asked, "So, what's wrong with her?"

"It is difficult to say without all the proper diagnostic tools," he said smiling weakly, returning to examining Alice. "At first guess, I would have supposed she ate something that did not agree with her very well; but since she has continued to have an upset stomach, I would say that she may have gotten a bug within the last few days and it is finally manifesting itself. The slight fever certainly supports that theory."

"Will she be okay?" Jasper asked, unable to hide his concern.

"With rest and plenty of fluids, I am sure she will make a full recovery," the doctor replied, appeasing his nephew. "In the mean time, she is more than welcome to stay here, as are you. I understand your family is out for the afternoon. Personally, I would feel better knowing that my patient is taken care of and that you are not sitting alone at home, Bella."

"You and your family could even join us for supper this evening," Esme added. "I've been meaning to invite your family over, anyways. I know the circumstances are not entirely ideal but maybe Alice's stomach will have settled enough that she could join us as well?"

Bella could not say no to such an invitation, especially not after the kindness they had shown Alice. Yet she was still wary of Edward and Rosalie. However, she would not let them deter her from showing how grateful she was for her family's sake; she accepted without a second thought.

The Cullens left Bella with Alice for a few moments of private discussion. Bella came to sit on the edge of the bed where Alice was propped and waiting. "How are you?" Bella asked generically; Alice rolled her eyes.

"Fine, I guess. Dr. and Mrs. Cullen have been great about this whole situation. Rosalie may never let me ride in her car again but other than that I'm doing fine."

"Why do you think she won't let you ride in her car anymore?"

"Well…let's just say she really needs to have her pretty, little BMW detailed before she takes it anywhere else." They both grimaced.

Bella decided to change the course of their discussion. "So," she began, "how has Jasper treated you through this entire ordeal?"

The apples of Alice's cheeks colored gently. "He's been very kind, along with the rest of his family. _I_ have no complaints."

"I'm sure he doesn't either. He seems positively tickled that you are here. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if he was hoping something would happen that would make it necessary for you to stay."

"I'm sure that's not true," Alice retorted, stifling a yawn.

"You need rest," Bella decided. "I'll come back to check on you later. Pray that I don't wring Edward's neck in the course of the afternoon," she added as she exited the room. Before she shut the door completely, she saw her sister fold her hands in mock solemnity.

Music greeted Bella's ears as she neared the landing of the stairs. Looking down into the living room, she could see Edward sitting at the piano, his brows furrowed in consternation as he scribbled something onto a sheet of paper in front of him. Returning to the ivory keys, his fingers moved lithely across the keyboard. However, something about the sound displeased him; he shook his head violently, erased a mark on the score and scribbled something else in its place. Bella watched him in silence as he continued this pattern for a few minutes, momentarily fascinated by this newly discovered trait.

"Didn't know that he was musical, did you?"

Startled by the new voice, Bella's hand flew up to her chest where she could feel her fluttering heart gradually slow to a normal pace. She turned to see Esme Cullen standing behind her, beaming with maternal warmth down at her godson. It was a wonder to Bella to see such unspoken affection for someone as cold and indifferent as Edward. Then again, she thought, Esme seemed to have more than enough love to go around.

"No, I did not," she said, responding to Esme's inquiry. No doubt, he was saving that tidbit of information for when he ran out of other things to make him feel superior, she added silently.

"I suppose it never came up," Esme said. "Edward is not one to boast." Bella suppressed a snort.

"So," said Esme, turning directly towards Bella, "what would you like to do this afternoon? I sent Jasper and Rosalie out to buy some groceries for supper this evening and I know better than to disturb Edward while he works. But perhaps there is something you had in mind? I have heard you enjoy reading very much; we happen to have an extensive collection of books ourselves—mostly medically related, mind you—but we have many novels, too. Are you interested in taking a look? You are more than welcome to borrowing anything you like."

Graciously accepting Esme's offer, the pair turned around and headed back down the hall. They opened the door to what Bella supposed was Carlisle's study. The room was lined with shelves upon shelves of books; his study was better stocked than the bookstore in town. She stood in the doorway, awestruck and feeling like a child in a candy store.

Esme was extremely gratified by Bella's reaction to all the books. She stood off to the side, quietly enjoying Bella's awed hesitance as the girl slowly walked to the various volumes on the opposite wall. Her fingers traced the old leather bindings of a copy of Wuthering Heights. Her worn paperback version seemed exceptionally shabby when compared to the pristine copy she held in her hands. Replacing the book back onto the shelf, she wandered, taking in the familiar titles and ones she had never heard of.

She came to a stop behind Carlisle's desk. Tucked between a large medical theory book and biography on Albert Einstein was a beautifully engraved edition of Shakespeare's sonnets. She gingerly took the book into her hands and watched as the light glittered of the gold leafing.

"Find something?" Esme asked from behind her.

Bella turned and grinned sheepishly. "May I?"

"Of course! I said that you may." Her answer pleased Bella.

As they turned to leave the study, something else caught Bella's eye. On Carlisle's desk were several framed photographs: one of him and Esme together in a loving embrace, another of Jasper standing behind Rosalie who was sitting and smiling demurely, and another of Edward with his arms around what could only be his little sister, Renesmee. Bella stared in astonishment; they could have been twins! They looked more alike than Jasper and Rosalie who _were_ twins. Everything about them was the same: the peculiar bronze colored hair, the fair pallor, and even the crooked smile, which Bella had never seen before. Everything apart from their eyes was identical. Unlike her brother, Renesmee had chocolate brown eyes as opposed to his emerald ones.

Esme caught Bella staring and said, "They look so much alike, don't they?"

"Yes," Bella said, at a loss for any other words.

"You remind me of her, you know," she said off-handedly.

"I do?"

"Yes," Esme replied. "When I first met you I instantly thought of little Nessie the moment I saw your eyes; it's the exact same color. You don't see that sort of depth in brown eyes normally; they are often flat in color. However, you both have very deep, expressive eyes…" she trailed off, lost in her own thoughts.

"It's funny," Bella said after a moment of silence. "I don't think I've ever seen Edward smile like that." Or ever, for that matter, she thought wryly.

The corners of Esme's mouth turned down. "He has not smiled like that since we moved. He takes his role as an older brother very seriously. The separation from Nessie has not been very good for him; he misses her too much."

Feeling compassion for Edward Masen was not something Bella was accustomed to, but, indeed, she felt it at that moment. She knew how lost she would be without either of her sisters. She could easily imagine how difficult it must be for him. "Is that who he was composing the song for downstairs?" she asked.

"Possibly," Esme answered thoughtfully. "Why?"

"The tone and the key seemed very pretty but melancholy. I don't know…it's just a guess."

"It's plausible," Esme said. Silence filled the air. Esme sighed and said, "It appears Edward is done composing…for the day at least." Bella raised a brow questioningly and Esme responded, saying, "He keeps at it until he hits a roadblock or he finishes a piece—whichever comes first."

"Oh."

They returned to the living room. Jasper and Rosalie had returned from the store; Esme went to help put away some of the items and began to thaw the meat for the meal. Edward was sitting hunched over with his back to the piano and his head in his hands. Her state of compassion for him had dissipated by this time and Bella passed him, ignoring him as she went. He, however, was not ignoring her; his eyes followed her until she nestled herself in an armchair.

It was a tranquil afternoon spent at the Cullens' abode. For a large portion of the time Bella read quietly in their living room, interrupted only by snide comments from Rosalie or by Jasper's ever present questions concerning her sister, which she happily answered to the best of her abilities. It was impossible for her not to note the speed which Edward took his exit; it was almost immediately after her entrance into the room. He did not reemerge until the rest of the Swan clan arrived for supper that evening.

Renée and Jessica arrived looking as if they had spent the entire afternoon getting ready for their visit to the Cullens' house; Bella suppressed an eye roll when she saw them; she felt they were trying too hard. Charlie, to her relief, while cleaned up, appeared to be much more like himself than her mother and her sister. Dr. and Mrs. Cullen greeted them warmly into their home. Carlisle took them on a tour of the house while Esme finished setting the table for their meal. While everyone was about, Bella stole the opportunity to check on Alice and to, if it were possible, persuade her to join the party downstairs.

Alice felt for her sister and understood how irksome the entire ordeal would be for her. Unfortunately, at the present, she did not feel confident enough in how she was feeling to join them. Bella sighed, resigned to Alice's answer, and offered to bring something up for her. Alice declined but promised to come down in a bit if she felt up to it. Composing a pleasant expression on her face, Bella returned downstairs where she found her family and the Cullens convened in the formal dining room.

"Will Alice be joining us?" Esme asked when Bella came into the room.

Bella shook her head and replied, "She says she feels better but she doesn't want to take the risk and ruin more upholstery today. She might come down later but, at the moment, she's not sure if she's up to it."

Bella felt tense throughout their dinner, anxious that someone in their family would do something that would cause embarrassment, especially Jessica. Her little sister did not disappoint. Almost immediately, she exposed herself to ridicule with her presumptuous statements and impertinent questions. Each time she did this, Bella's cheeks went up in flames and she bit her lower lip, praying the Cullens would not notice, or at least not take offense.

"You should totally have a party here," Jessica said (certainly her mildest statement). "It would be an awesome way to make new friends and clear up any rumors that you guys are, like, a bunch or vampires or whatever."

Jasper laughed easily and said, "It sounds like a good idea to me, if Carlisle and Esme don't mind." His uncle responded, saying that there was no conflict on their side. "When should we have this party, Jessica? I'll let you name the date."

Jessica seemed tickled with excitement. "Hmm," she said, "well, since we had the dance, like, yesterday, you probably should give it two weeks before you host anything. Oh, and it should be themed! _At least_ nicer than semiformal…but not quite formal. You know?"

It was decided. The party was to be held in two weeks. While there was no theme decided on, they all agreed to the semiformal/formal attire. Bella thanked her lucky stars that the Cullens took Jessica's suggestion so good humouredly—or at least appeared to, at any rate. She thanked them further when Alice joined them at the end of the meal. Any tension Bella had felt up until that moment alleviated with the presence of her big sister.

"Thank you for coming," Jasper said, helping Alice into Bella's truck. The rest of the Swans were already packed into Charlie's cruiser and were on their way down the Cullens' drive.

"No! Thank _you_ for putting up with me this afternoon. I feel terrible about Rose's car," Alice added sheepishly.

"No worries. She'll have it detailed tomorrow, so no harm done." He grinned at her, causing her cheeks to flush a complimentary hue to her fair skin.

"Tell Carlisle and Esme thank you for us, too."

"Will do."

Smiling once more at each other before Bella's truck roared to life, they parted. Jasper returned inside and found that his aunt and uncle had retired early for the evening. His sister and Edward remained in the living room, Rosalie watching television, and Edward uncharacteristically working on his latest composition again.

Jasper sat down beside his sister. Turning from the flickering screen she said, "I will never understand why everyone in this town thinks so highly of that family. Sure, the father is a decent man and what not, but he is simple at best. Both the mother and Jessica are ridiculous. I mean, did you hear the things coming from that girl's mouth? At least she has some physical features to fall back on…I suppose. And Bella? _She_ is the biggest mystery of them all. All week I kept hearing people praise the Swan sisters. Now, I fully understand why they would praise Alice; she is lovely and fun to be around—when she is not puking up her guts in my car—but Bella is so boring and _plain_. Yet half the male population at our school has a fixation on her."

"Rose, you're being too harsh. Chief Swan and Bella are just reserved, not simple or boring; Mrs. Swan and Jessica are just…spirited; and Bella is plain. Admittedly, she is nothing compared to Alice but she is pretty in her own way."

"Oh, please. Cut the crap, Jazz." Then turning to Edward, she said, "I know you agree with me, Edward. Don't you think Bella is a regular Plain Jane?"

Normally, Edward would not have stopped working to answer. So it came as a great shock when he abruptly quit playing the ivories to say, "Well, like Jasper said, she's not as pretty as Alice…or you. But there is something interesting about her face—the contrast between her fair skin and dark hair and eyes. Plus, she has very fine eyes."

He turned his back to them then, and returned to his composition, struck by a new wave of inspiration.


	5. Chapter 5

**Author Note:** This chapter is a bit of a transitory chapter. It is also much shorter than prior chapters. Still, I hope you enjoy it. Please leave me your reviews. Oh, and happy new year. :)

**Chapter 5**

If there was anyone in the subdued town of Forks who could get everyone riled up for an event, it was Jessica Swan. The next morning, she had a thick stack of flyers ready, proclaiming the soon to be most anticipated party of the year, and probably in the history of Forks, Washington. It was promoted as an upperclassmen event; underclassmen were only allowed if invited by a junior or a senior. When Alice and Bella read the flyers, they immediately pointed out the flaw in Jessica's designs—she would not be allowed to attend the party she planned! Jessica smiled knowingly and explained that it gave her an excuse to flirt excessively with upperclassmen. At her explanation, there was little else to do but roll their eyes.

The school buzzed with the exciting news all day, driving teachers up the wall as they attempted to engage their students' attention back to the mundane topics of trigonometry, cell reproduction, and rhetorical analysis. Their efforts came to no avail. The students were too far gone in their individual fantasies. Along with the glazed look in the students' eyes, there was also a sudden desperation to become the Cullen children's best friends. That day, the table, which was occupied by a handful of people normally, was cramped with students, most of which had shunned the Cullens' prior to the invitation, primarily due to Edward's cold demeanor.

It was difficult to decide who was more uncomfortable—Bella, who was not comfortable around large groups, or Edward, who just seemed to hate people in general. In the end, it was Edward who could not take another minute of the excessive fawning; midway through lunch, he disappeared from the cafeteria without so much as a word to his family, mystifying them all.

By the time sixth hour biology rolled around, he still not had returned. This realization gave Bella an extra spring in her step, until she tripped over her own feet, entering the room. She sank embarrassedly into her chair and prayed that no one had noticed.

"Okay, everybody, quiet down," Mr. Banner said as he called the class to order. "Right. Okay, today we're doing our follow up on the lab we did last Friday on the phases of mitosis. You are welcome to work in your pairs. You have until the end of the hour to get this done," he said, passing out the sheets of paper.

"Bella, I noticed Mr. Masen is not here. Do you know where he went?" Mr. Banner asked when he reached Bella's table.

She shook her head. "No idea," she replied. "He left in the middle of lunch. I haven't seen him since."

"Well," said Mr. Banner, "I know Mr. Crowley is absent today and that Mr. Newton is also without a partner today. Would you mind working with him?"

Bella turned around to see Mike Newton grinning warmly at her. In the past week, she had grown so accustomed to Edward's cold behavior towards her that receiving a smile was extremely refreshing and gratifying.

"Sure," Bella answered brightly with little hesitation. Picking up her bag, she joined Mike at his empty table.

Mike Newton was a generically popular boy. He was friendly and well liked, especially by most of the ladies at Forks High. His hair was pale blonde and spiked in an orderly fashion. Like every other resident in Forks, his skin was pale and clear. His smile was welcoming on his baby face and his eyes sparkled at Bella's approach.

"Hey," Bella greeted him as she took her seat.

"Hey," he echoed back. "I'm going to apologize now for my pace. I'm not as smart as Masen appears to be and Biology really is not my forte to begin with so…" he trailed off.

Bella chuckled, "That is okay. I would much rather work with you anyways."

It was now Mike's turn to laugh. "Not a big fan of him, are you?"

Bella shook her head rapidly.

"Not that I blame you," Mike continued, "especially after what he said about you last Saturday."

"You heard about that?" Bella gasped quietly.

Mike barked a laugh, "Who didn't? The whole school was talking about it before the night was out."

Bella sat silently, flabbergasted.

"Just so you know," Mike went on, unaware of her mental state, "I think he's absolutely out of his mind for saying that about you."

Bella glanced up at her companion, "You do?"

"Yeah! You're one of the prettiest girls I've ever met." Bella began to scoff when he said, "Keep in mind that I've lived in places more heavily populated than Forks."

Bella swept her mahogany hair over her shoulder to create a curtain between her and mike so that he might not notice the faint blush painting her fair cheeks.

They returned to the task at hand, answering the questions about mitosis. Mike was not exaggerating when he said Biology was not his strong point. Bella ended up answering most of the questions, minus a few basic ones towards the beginning. Mike clearly felt bad about how useless he was but Bella minded very little; it was nice for her to have someone who would actually talk to her.

There was only fifteen minutes left of class when Edward reemerged from his hiding place. His eyes automatically flickered to his and Bella's table and the corners of his mouth pulled down when he realized she was not there.

"Ah, Mr. Masen," Mr. Banner exclaimed, "we were beginning to think you were not going to join class today. You will need one of these," he said, handing Edward the worksheet. "It's due at the end of class today but since you came in late, I will accept it at the start of class tomorrow. You may work with Miss Swan and Mr. Newton in a trio, if you would like."

When Mr. Banner mentioned Bella's name, Edward's face lit up but his eyes narrowed infinitesimally when Mike's name was tagged on afterwards. Both Bella and Mike noticed this minute change in Edward's expression.

"That's okay, Mr. Banner," Edward said curtly. "I can manage on my own." His face hardened like a marble angel as he turned his head back on his bewildered classmates and stalked off to his desk.

"What was that about?" Bella whispered to her partner. Mike's face was devoid of emotion. Bella nudged him, trying to break his reverie.

He blinked several times before he responded. "No idea," he replied, faking a smile. Bella saw right through the farce.

"Seriously," she hissed. "What's his deal? I mean, that was _not_ normal, even for him."

Mike's eyes shifted to see if anyone was listening. Their peers were all still hard at work on their worksheets; they appeared to be the only pair finished. "Okay, you caught me." He hesitated, "Masen and I have a…brief history. We met last summer in California. I was visiting some old friends and I guess the Cullens were vacationing at the beach.

"I was with one of my friends, Amber, at the beach the day I met him. Amber and I had a bit of a history ourselves. She was—and I know this sounds corny—my childhood sweetheart. Seeing her again was pretty important to me.

"She and I were building sandcastles when _he_showed up," he grumbled, jerking his head in Edward's direction. "The whole family was playing a Frisbee and asked if we were interested in joining; I guess they were just trying to be friendly. So, we joined in their little game. Surprisingly, it was a lot of fun; Masen seemed like a decent guy; he and I got along fairly well.

"He asked me about Amber and I told him how it was between me and her. The way he responded, I guessed he respected that. After that, we parted and I thought that would be the last of it. Amber and I were planning on going to the boardwalk that night. She met me at the pier. At first, everything seemed fine. Then, she told me she was going to be right back; she needed to find the restroom or something. I waited. She didn't come back. Naturally, I was worried about her so I went to look for her…" he trailed off, his eyes glazed with the memory of the past.

"Did you find her?" Bella asked gently when he did not resume his story.

"Oh, I found her all right," he nearly growled. "I found her and Masen going at it behind one of those lame carnival games."

Bella's jaw dropped. Whatever she had expected to hear, this was not it. "You're kidding!" she exclaimed while Mike shook his head. "What did you do?"

"I kicked the crap out of him," he replied a with a hint of smugness. His eyes flickered to Bella's face, gauging her reaction.

She was skeptical. Edward may look slight next to Jasper or Emmett but she knew from sitting next to him day after day that he was exceptionally muscular beneath his designer duds. Mike looked puny next to Edward. He would not have stood a chance against him. Still, she could think of no other explanation for Edward's strange behavior towards Mike. It must have been true.

"What happened afterwards?" Bella asked quietly, her eyes trained on the back of Edward's head.

"Nothing," Mike shrugged. "It was the last time I saw Amber. She tried to contact me a couple times after the fact but…I just didn't want anything to do with her,"

"I'm sorry," Bella said, tearing her eyes away from Edward.

"I'm not," Mike replied, his mood lightening. Bella's brows rose querulously. Mike clarified, "If Edward hadn't stolen Amber from me, I would have never noticed someone who was…better." His gaze was so penetrating, so steady that Bella could not look away. Finally, the bell rang shrilly, freeing Bella from his eyes.

"So, I guess, judging from your past with the family, you are probably not going to the party at the Cullen's house, are you?"

Mike snickered mischievously and replied, "Actually, I was planning on going. I'm not scared of Masen. If he doesn't want to see me, he'll have to deal with it."

"Oh," Bella responded lamely.

"So," Mike said, switching gears, "Do you have a date? Maybe we could go together." He looked at her hopefully.

As soon as the words were out of his mouth, Edward brushed by the pair, as if in slow motion, turning his head to hear Bella's answer. His emerald orbs met her chocolate ones before he looked away—time speeding up again—perhaps thinking better of his curiosity.

"Bella?" Mike's voice cut through her brief trance, drawing her attention back to him.

--

"So, let me get this straight," Jacob said as he tightened a bolt in his car's engine, "you have a date…with _Mike Newton_?"

Bella flushed embarrassedly at her friend's accusing tone. She stared at the strand of hair she was braiding for the millionth time while she answered with her own question, "What do you have against Mike Newton?"

Bella watched as Jacob's dark brows furrowed while he considered her question. His long, raven hair was knotted at the nape of his neck; his sleeves were rolled up beyond his forearm, reveling satiny, russet skin hardened by developing muscle. It was amazing how quickly he was growing up.

"He's a marshmallow," Jacob finally decided before returning to his car.

"Marshmallow?"

Jacob looked back up at Bella with a peculiar look in his eyes. "Do you remember when you and I went to see that moronic movie, Crosshairs, in Port Angeles? Newton and a bunch of his cronies were there, too. It wasn't even halfway through the movie when he sprinted out because he was about to toss his cookies!"

Bella did remember the day Jacob described, but for different reasons. During the movie, Jacob sat the entire time with his hand ready for her to take in the darkened theater; she never did. However, she vaguely recalled this part of the tale.

"What's your point?" Bella asked.

Jacob huffed, "You should hold out for someone with a stronger stomach."

Bella truly hated the silence that followed. It was plain that Jacob's displeasure stemmed from more than a desire for her to wait for a man with a stronger stomach. Bella knew how Jacob felt about her. She would not have told him about going to the party with Mike at all if he had not asked her if she had plans for a week from Saturday. Seeing the uncharacteristic anger on his face, she wished she could relieve the pain. Still, she wished she had held her tongue.

"You could come, too, if you want." She mentally cringed at her offer; the lines of friendship were always blurring between her and Jacob.

Jacob met Bella's eyes with an amused smirk. "I don't think so. I don't want you to get mad at me for ruining your…_date_." He was unable to conceal how much this truly bothered him as he choked out the last word.

Bella was stricken as she circled her arms around her massive friend's waist. She felt guilty because Jacob was hurting, because it somehow always seemed to be her fault, and, most importantly, because she was glad he had declined her offer to come along.

She would get to have Mike all to herself.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6 **

Twinkling lights sparkled in the Cullens' trees as Edward and Jasper strung the last of them through the branches. Neither spoke, the latter because he was too keyed up with anticipation for the promise of the evening, the former because he was absolutely dreading it.

He endured it everyday. Everyday during the five minutes before Mr. Banner finally got around to starting Biology, Mike Newton sat on the edge of Edward and Bella's table, chatting animatedly with her about various trivia, primarily the party, which Edward was co-hosting. From the snippets of conversation Edward caught despite himself, they were going together—Bella and Mike. He tried to ignore their conversations, not caring to know whether they dressed to match or if they went out to eat before hand; he did not want to hear it.

Something about the two of them together…irked Edward. Or perhaps it was merely the fact Mike was going with anybody that bothered him so much. This was the excuse Edward contented himself with for several days. It made sense to him; it made sense for him to want that slimy snake to be absolutely miserable and alone. Yet after several days of wrestling subconsciously with the idea, it became apparent to Edward that this was not the true reason behind his annoyance. Deep down, he knew it had to do with the fact that Mike was taking Bella.

It should not have mattered to him. He could not begin to comprehend why it _did_ matter to him. Yet despite himself, despite his best efforts to ignore the situation as best he could, to put the pair out of his mind, at the end of the day when he was lying awake or penning a letter to Nessie, his mind always wandered to them.

He hated it.

What did she see in him, anyways? The question burned constantly in his thoughts as if someone had taken a hot iron and branded it into his brain. It was not as if there was anything particularly special about Mike. He was popular in the eyes of their peers, it was true, but he was also unobservant and dim where Bella was intuitive and bright.

Everyday when Edward silently observed Bella and Mike in his peripherals, he took notes. He noted how Bella's smile, although often shy, always invited him to keep talking. He noted how her brow puckered ever so slightly when she heard something she did not necessarily approve of. He noted how her slender figure was always angled away from himself and toward the imbecile whom he loathed…

Edward did not only pay attention to Bella Swan, but also to Mike. He was determined to riddle out the reason for her apparent infatuation with him. If only she were easier to read! Mike's expressions were simple enough to comprehend—arrogance, admiration, obliviousness, and even the occasional lust crossed his eyes. Bella, on the other hand…It was maddening.

Jasper could feel the tension rolling off Edward like an avalanche blazing down a mountainside. His brows furrowed as he observed his adoptive brother sling, with more force than necessary, the string of lights around the top of the last tree. Sadly, he could not think of any reason that could account for Edward's behavior. It seemed so unlike him. Edward looked up and met Jasper's concerned gaze; his face was smooth and betrayed nothing. Jasper frowned, wishing he were as gifted as Edward was at reading people.

"C'mon, Edward," he said earnestly, trying to lift him from his angry dejection. "We're done here. Let's see if Esme wants us to help her with anything and then get ready for the party. We have guests coming!"

Edward chuckled once at Jasper's enthusiasm. Just as Jasper had hoped, he felt better…marginally. At least, he did not feel that the night would be an utter disaster, for the moment. He knew, however, that any enthusiasm he felt for the party would evaporate as soon as he was left alone to his own devices and his brooding thoughts.

--

"Ouch!" Bella winced as Alice yanked the curling iron away from her scalp. She blinked several times, banning the tears from her eyes. Alice shot her sister an apologetic look. This was the third time she had burned her that hour.

"Sorry, sorry, sorry!" Alice mumbled again, her lips turning down into a heartbreaking pout.

"It's okay," Bella said composedly, "I'm fine."

Alice was not, however; it was plain on her pixie-like face. Bella spun around to face her sister, her eyes probing, trying to fish the reason for her sister's uncharacteristic clumsiness—that was Bella's job.

"Alice," she said slowly. She stared her sister down until Alice's innocent look melted and she sighed loudly.

"I'm just a little nervous," Alice explained, answering Bella's unspoken question.

"Why are you nervous?" Bella demanded in response. She could easily guess at the reason, it just made no sense. Alice practically had Jasper eating out of the palm of her delicate, little hand. If there was anyone who should be nervous, it ought to be Jasper because he may not be able to breathe again once he sees Alice.

"I just want to make a good impression," she replied, returning to her sister's hair. "Oh, I love this," she added after a moment, as if the prior subject was closed and had no need of pursuit. She released the mahogany tendril from the iron and it fell softly, spiraling in a graceful barrel.

"You know he's nuts about you," Bella said after a moment, ignoring Alice's attempt at evasion. "Really, there is nothing you need to worry about. And if I am wrong, he is the greatest fool that ever walked this earth." Second greatest, she mentally corrected herself.

Alice beamed. She turned to her sister and asked eagerly, "What do you think?" gesturing to Bella's reflection in her vanity.

Bella shrugged nonchalantly. "It doesn't really matter to me. It's what Mike thinks that counts." At the thought of Mike, a wistful smile spread across her face. Although parties were never Bella's specialty, having Mike there was sure to make it worth her while.

A dainty hand swatted Bella's shoulder; Alice's scowl etched lines into her face that made her look older than she was. She huffed indignantly. "Really, Bella, is it so hard to at least _pretend_ that you care about your appearance? They do matter to an extent after all."

"What's the point?" Bella asked archedly. "Obviously it is all wasted effort since I am 'not attractive enough' to tempt _some_ people." The look in her eyes was devilish and her smile was mischievous as she quoted her adversary.

Alice pursed her lips. "Oh, hush. I'm sure Edward did not actually mean that." In spite of her assertion, she could not come up with a rational explanation for Edward's decidedly caustic attitude towards her little sister.

"My dear Alice, I have no doubt that he meant every word. Regardless, I don't care what Edward Masen thinks of me. I was only joking."

Downstairs, the telephone rang shrilly. The sound of Charlie's lethargic footsteps toward the phone echoed up to Alice's bedroom where the two girls sat. They exchanged looks but shrugged, assuming it was Billy Black making fishing plans for the next day. Instead, they heard Charlie call up to Bella, saying that it was Mike.

"Bella?" Mike said, his voice barely above a whisper. The sound of his voice caused Bella's heart to stutter in alarm.

"Mike? Are you okay?" she asked in hushed tones.

A groan sounded on the other end of the line. "No. I'm sorry, Bella, but I am going to have to cancel our plans for tonight. I think I got the flu. I'd hate for you to catch this." His voice broke and Bella felt a pang of sympathy.

"It's okay, Mike. Don't worry. I hope you feel better soon."

"Bye, Bella." The line went dead.

Bella hung up the phone in a disappointed fashion. She had so been counting on Mike's presence to make the evening enjoyable for her! Suddenly, the immediate future stretched before her and she cringed. The idea of forced merriment, especially with Edward there, while wearing a tight-fitting dress and heels that were more like death traps in disguise…it was her worst nightmare come to life.

"What's up?" Alice asked, measuring her sister's expression.

"Mike's sick." Her voice was monotone, lifeless; dread seeped into her veins, making her feel like ice.

"That's terrible! What does he have?"

"The flu…he thinks."

Alice attempted futilely to cheer Bella, but Bella would not listen. She was determined to wallow in self-pity and use it as an excuse not to attend the Cullens' party. Alice was quite adamant; her need for her sister's comforting presence was too acute to allow her to bow out so easily.

"Can you invite someone else? There has to be someone available and even if there is not, you really don't have to have a date; it's not like you like dancing anyway."

This response displeased Bella. No, she did not _need _a date, but it certainly would brighten her outlook if she had someone with whom she could joke around. Then it occurred to her. She just hoped it was not too last minute….

Her fingers swiftly dialed the number. The phone only rang twice before Billy Black's gruff voice resonated on the other end of the line. She asked for Jacob, silently praying that he had not made plans with Quil and Embry, and simultaneously castigating herself for blurring more lines.

Jacob must have been close by when his father answered the phone. Bella had not had time to exhale before her warm friend's husky voice greeted her. "Hey, Bella! What's up? Did Newton stand you up?"

Bella scowled to herself. "Close," she conceded.

Jacob barked a laugh on the other end. "Ah, I'm sorry, honey. Do you want me to come get you? We can hang out in the garage. Or maybe we could go to Port Angeles and catch a movie?"

A smile hesitantly tugged at the corner of her lips. "Hmm, tempting but no. Alice won't let me skip the party."

"Oh," he responded lamely.

"Actually," Bella began, "I was sort of hoping you wouldn't mind coming? I know it is really last minute but if you could that would be an _enormous _help. You don't even have to really dress up if you don't want to."

Jacob laughed heartily before replying, "Okay, I'll go. What time should I be there to pick you up?"

A sigh of relief escaped her, "Does eight forty-five work for you?" Bella glanced at the clock. If he showed up then, that only gave her and Alice an hour to finish preparing. Judging from the way Alice was absently drumming her fingers along the countertop, that would be pushing it. "Or nine?" she asked, glancing at Alice. Her fingers quit drumming.

"Yeah, nine works for me," Jacob answered. "I'll see you in a bit."

"Okay. Bye, Jake!"

"Bye, Bells."

Alice grinned at her sister. Taking her hand, she dragged Bella back up the stairs where a slew of cosmetics were waiting for her. Alice ignored Bella's martyred expression as she sat her down on the stool and began playing beautician. Bella stifled a groan. Jacob could not arrive soon enough….

--

Edward had never dreamed that he would see his godparents' living room so packed with people. From wall to wall, bodies swayed to the beat of some popular song for which he had no patience. Jasper was pleased by the turnout, his mood only dampened by the fact that Alice had yet to make her entrance. Rosalie kept her countenance pleasant towards the guests but Edward could read the disgust for her "small-town" classmates plainly on her face. She perked up, however, when boisterous Emmett arrived and claimed her for the evening.

Edward leaned nonchalantly against one of the walls, surveying the scene while sipping some punch. He noted Jessica Swan's presence; she had arrived in a large group of upperclassmen with her minion, Lauren, at her side; the two of them were making a spectacle of themselves, dancing in a manner that was most distasteful. Like Jasper, he had not yet seen Alice…or Bella.

He turned his thoughts and attention elsewhere, shifting his gaze to the view out the front window. Cars were parked every which way along the vast meadow, all of them he recognized from the school lot. Just as Edward's eyes began to shift back to rave unraveling in his godparents' living room, an unfamiliar car pulled into the meadow—a Volkswagen Rabbit. An enormous boy with russet skin and long, raven hair stepped out of the vehicle; Edward was _positive_ he had never seen this boy before and was wondering why the stranger had come at all. That is, until he saw the passengers with him.

Jacob walked around to the opposite side of the car and opened Bella's door. She stepped out, her brows creasing in consternation, and took hold of his arm, for fear of falling in her heels. Meanwhile, Alice lithely stepped out of the car and smiled reassuringly at her sister before dancing to the front door. Jacob grinned sardonically down at Bella and followed Alice, towing his date along at his side.

Jasper spied their arrival at the same time Edward did and made haste to greet Alice at the front door. Roses bloomed on Alice's cheeks while Jasper warmly complimented how well she looked; she followed him onto the dance floor where he swept her into his arms and whirled her across the floor.

"Hey, Emmett," Edward said, catching his friend's arm as he passed, "who's that there with Bella? I don't think that I have seen him at school before."

Emmett glanced at the pair laughing in the opposite corner. "That's Jacob Black. His dad is Chief Swan's good friend and so he grew up with Alice, Bella, and Jessica. He and Bella are like this," he said, crossing his fingers lightly. "Poor kid," he added in mock gravity.

"Why?" Edward asked, his eyes remaining focused on the pair.

Emmett chuckled, "Well, it's no secret he's gaga for her. But, as far I know, she hasn't caved yet." With those parting words, Emmett left Edward to find Rosalie.

--

"Hey, I'm going to use the restroom. Be right back."

"Okay," Bella replied, watching her friend disappear into the throng of teenagers.

She sighed, sinking back into her corner. She and Jacob had been there for a little over two hours and had danced only twice. She could not complain about that—she had no desire to court potentially embarrassing moments. They had kept it simple, swaying awkwardly to the beat of a ballad. For the rest of the time they had kept slightly apart from the rest of the guests, Bella keeping a close eye on her sisters and Jacob cracking jokes in her ear.

This was the first time he had left her side. Immediately, the social awkwardness that was always in check when Jacob was present crept up on her and threatened to drown her. Mercifully, Angela approached her with a giddy grin on her face.

"You look like you're having fun," Bella noted. Angela merely chuckled, shaking her blonde tendrils about. "Where's Ben?"

"He went to get me a drink. I told him I'd be over here with you," Angela replied. "Where's Mike?" she asked, wondering why she had not seen them together despite the fact that she knew they were coming together.

Bella scowled, "Sick. He thinks he has the flu."

"Oh. Bummer."

"Tell me about it."

Like a phantom, Edward appeared at Bella's side, just as the music shifted once again to a mellower tune. Angela and Bella both jumped at his appearance, their hearts stuttering several times before returning to a normal pace.

"Hi, Edward," Angela said brightly after a moment's recovery. "Great party."

Bella forced her lips into a hard smile and nodded in agreement. She did not fully meet his probing eyes.

"Ang!" Ben called to Angela. "I love this song! Let's dance." He bounded up to her and eagerly took her hand. Angela followed him out into the designated dance space, glancing back apologetically at her friend while Ben glanced back curiously.

Bella felt herself become rigid. Her teeth gnawed nervously on her lower lip as she silently prayed Edward would leave her alone. Meanwhile, he was completely at ease. His emerald eyes gazed steadily at her face, trying to read her thoughts as if they were words printed on the pages of a book. He perceived her obvious discomfort and her agitated state, but his interpretation of these emotions was far from being in accordance with hers.

"Would you like to dance?" he asked after a moment of silence between the two.

Bella's eyes widened and her brows leaped up into her hairline in disbelief. She turned to face him, to see if this was some sick joke on his part. He wore the same infuriating smirk that he always wore when speaking to her but his eyes were quite serious. It was almost alarming.

"I," she began, searching for the right words. Her eyes scanned the room desperately, seeking Jacob. She spotted him, still waiting in line for the restroom. His face was contorted in a comical expression of annoyance as he waited impatiently. It would have made her laugh if she was not so stressed.

"I…guess I can dance with you," she acquiesced reluctantly.

Edward's smirk widened as his hand encircled Bella's and he led her out to the other dancers. Couples stopped what they were doing when the pair passed. Their eyes followed them curiously and some turned to their partners and pointed in Bella and Edward's direction.

Confidently, Edward pulled Bella into his arms. His fingers spread securely across the small of her back while his other hand cradled hers gently, as if she were some fragile, glass figurine. Her breath hitched at the close proximity and she mentally berated herself for allowing him to fluster her like that.

Then he began to lead.

It was a dance infinitely superior to those of their peers, even taking into account the handicap Bella's clumsiness presented. She grumbled inwardly; did he have to be great at _everything_? His feet glided sinuously in their tiny allotted space while she stumbled along after him. Sighing, Edward lifted her up so that her toes rested on the tops of his feet; he really did not want her to cripple herself trying to dance.

Bella gasped, her cheeks flushing a brilliant crimson. Desperately seeking to distract herself from the situation at hand, she turned her attention to the song swirling about the room. Although it was not a familiar tune to her, she found that there was something pleasing in the way the instruments and the vocals weaved effortlessly in and out of each other.

"I like this song," she decided after a moment.

A little smile tugged up on Edward's lips as he agreed, "Yes, it is one of my favorites." This dumbfounded her; they _actually_ had something in common.

The room was far from being quiet yet the silence that fell between Edward and Bella was tangibly painful. She forced herself to speak again. "It's your turn to say something," she said as lightly as she could manage.

Edward's brows lifted slightly. "Really?" he asked, matching her bantering tone. "What would you most like to hear?"

"I suppose your reply will do for now," she replied, meeting his gaze with a saucy one of her own.

His brows furrowed infinitesimally as he vainly attempted to discern the meanings behind her looks and words. He was unsatisfied with their dance thus far. He was no closer to understanding this peculiar girl, nor did he have any answers regarding the burning questions in his mind.

"So where's Newton?" Edward asked. He grinned crookedly down at his partner.

"Huh?" Bella mumbled, dazed for a moment by Edward's smile. She shook her head to clear it.

"I was under the impression that you and Mike Newton were coming together," he clarified, perplexed by her uncomprehending answer.

"We were," she hedged.

"And?" Edward could hardly contain his curiosity.

Bella glared back defiantly and said, "I don't see how that's your business."

Edward's smirk became more pronounced. He snorted, "Did he ditch you?"

Angrily, Bella mashed her teeth together before replying coolly, "I'm sure you would have just _loved_ that. Sadly, no. He is sick with the flu."

"What a pity," Edward sneered. "He will be sorely missed."

"Of course," Bella replied, matching his tone, "I know you were so looking forward to that awkward situation."

The pair had stopped moving by then and simply stared at each other with passive aggression in their eyes. The music faded into a more upbeat tempo. Bella broke the staring contest first and disappeared into the crowd. Edward gazed after her, his mouth set in a hard line and his fists clenched tightly.

--

Edward was more than ready for the party to be over. A migraine brewed in his head and irritation with several of the guests plagued his countenance. He had been occupying his time keeping close tabs on Jasper and Alice. This was as much for the sake of his friend as it was to distract him from his own agitation.

If he were being honest with himself, he could not say he liked what he saw.

He watched Jasper hover at Alice's side, graciously fetching her beverages and gallantly asking her to dance. To all of his attentions Alice smiled politely and conceded. Yet, if Edward was not mistaken, there was reluctance in her every action. Troubled by his notions and wishing to have a second opinion, Edward consulted Rosalie, since she and Alice appeared to be in each other's confidence. Rosalie confirmed his doubts, saying that Alice had made no hint that she preferred Jasper to any of their peers. To this information, Edward only nodded silently, considering what the appropriate course of action would be.

He seemed lost in his own thoughts and slowly he drifted to the back window to gaze out into the night. There was a girl standing outside, shivering, it appeared, in the moonlight. The pale light bleached her skin and created a dynamic contrast between it and her dark hair. Bella, Edward realized belatedly. When had she slipped outside? He pondered this as a darker figure crossed the sloping lawn to stand beside her.

--

Bella's face was turned intently up to the uncharacteristically cloudless sky. The misshapen moon gleamed down on her and painted everything around her in a silvery glow. A soft breeze rustled through the trees and blew tendrils of her hair about her face. There in the silence of the night, she felt the first moment of peace.

"What are you doing out here, Bells?" a husky voice from behind her asked.

She turned to see Jacob grinning at her. "I just needed a break. You of all people should know how this isn't my thing."

"Yeah," he responded lamely. The breeze blew around them again, raising goose bumps on Bella's exposed flesh. "Oh, here you go," Jacob said, shrugging out of his jacket and offering it to her. "You must be freezing."

She took the jacket, smiling gratefully, and slipping her arms through it. "Thanks," she murmured, rubbing her frigid hands together.

"I'll take care of that," Jacob offered, taking both of her hands in his.

His hands dwarfed hers, enveloping them in warmth. Despite herself, she sighed contentedly. Jacob let go with one of his hands and pressed it against Bella's cheek. She leaned her head into his palm like a dog nuzzles his head into his master's hand for more attention. He smirked, letting go of her hands, and gently began to massage her temples. Again, she sighed.

"You know," he nearly whispered after a moment, "it's kind of nice out here, with the moonlight and the stars. Sort of…romantic."

Bella's eyes snapped open. "Jake," she said warningly.

"I know, I know," he replied, rolling his eyes. "Look, I get that you don't feel the same right now. But can you blame me for hoping?"

"No," she said, her voice sounding mildly distressed. "But I don't think it's fair to you. If you feel that way…"

"Stop," he said, pressing a finger to her lips. "Don't worry about it." He glanced once up that sky and then said, "C'mon. Let's go inside. I'm starting to get chilly."

Deciding to push his luck, he seized Bella's hand as they walked back to the house. She did not pull away as she was lost in her own reverie. The strolled hand in hand back to the house as guests began to trickle out, heading home.

Both were completely oblivious to the audience they had at the window.


	7. Chapter 7

**Author Note:** I am well overdue for a new chapter and for that I sincerely apologize and thank you all for your patience. This chapter is very short for me but it felt like a good place to break. Please don't be angry with me. Thank you.**

* * *

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Chapter 7

Aggression was not a trait normally sported by any member of the Swan family. When Charlie was miffed about something that came up at work or frustrated by "the dangers of a big city," as he said when referring to Seattle, he would pack up his tackle and head out to his favorite fishing spot and let his troubles ebb in the serenity of nature. Renée dealt with her stressors by jumping into new activities, often times eliciting a quirked brow or two from her three daughters and her bemused husband. Alice, it seemed, never felt anger. According to Bella, she was too sweet to allow life to tear her away from her world of butterflies and rainbows. Whenever such allegations were made, Alice would merely smile and shake her head, confirming Bella's thoughts. Bella typically immersed herself in a book whenever life seemed to catch up to her. In her eyes, the trials of fictional characters were always to be preferred to her own petty problems. Of all the Swans, Jessica was the most likely to be plagued by aggressive behavior. She was notoriously dramatic and was always the first to snap at a snarky remark. Yet on this particular afternoon, it was not the youngest, most dramatic Swan to give into aggression. No, it was Bella who experienced the claws of aggression as she drove home from La Push.

"Alice," she bellowed, slamming the door of her truck behind her. She clambered up the porch steps and thrust the door open. It knocked against the wall, the screen shuttering as it did so. She kicked off her rain boots and stumbled up the stairs. Her fists clenched reflexively and a pain shot up her hand, serving as a reminder of her disastrous afternoon.

-:-

The clouds hung heavily over the ocean as Jacob and Bella strolled along the beach. Bella watched the tide lazily roll onto the shore, like the breath of a baby, slowly rising and falling. It was hypnotic. So absorbed was she in watching the waves that she hardly registered Jacob's uncharacteristic silence.

His thumb stroked patterns on the back of her hand while they sat on a bench made out of bleached piece of drift wood—their drift wood bench. Only then did the hush register with her.

Bella turned her dark eyes up to her friend. He smiled gently but for reasons unbeknownst to her, it did not meet his eyes. She placed her free hand on his cheek and attempted to tug up on the corners of his lips in an effort to get him to truly smile. For a brief moment it worked. His lips pulled back into a wolfy grin but then fell again. She scowled in response.

"What's wrong, Jake?" she asked, her brows puckering in concern.

"Nothing," he lied, gazing out across the horizon.

She shook her head and sighed. "You don't actually think I buy that? I know you better than that." She pouted.

A gust of air blew out his mouth in a manner far too frustrated to be called a sigh. She felt his weight shift and his gaze linger on her face. "What—?"

Her question was abruptly cut off by his lips, which crushed and molded themselves against hers. Her eyes opened wide in shock. Jacob's hand cupped her neck, pulling her closer to him. Angrily, Bella pushed and shoved her hands against the broad expanse of his chest until the need for air forced him to break away from the kiss. His eyes were bright as he searched her face.

"Well?" he asked, his brows rose expectantly.

"What the hell was _that_?" she spat, wiping her mouth viciously. He flinched at her rebuff.

"Um…a kiss?"

"Assault is more like it! Why did you do that?"

"You asked me what was wrong," he began to explain. "I was trying to concentrate on not doing that when I figured 'what the hell?'"

Bella's eyes bugged out of her sockets in exasperation. "Well, maybe this will remind you to restrain yourself next time," she replied before punching his jaw with her clenched fist. She hissed in pain the moment her fist collided with his face.

Jacob rubbed his cheek, dumbstruck. Then her pain registered. "Bella! Are you okay?" He reached for her hand to examine it but she yanked it away.

"Don't touch me," she snarled. She stood up and stalked off towards her truck. Jacob attempted to follow her but her murderous glare stopped him short. He stood next to their bench, watching her drive away one-handedly, wondering exactly how much damage he had done…

-:-

"Alice," Bella called again. She needed her sister. She needed her calm, rational sister to soothe her mind before she broke something. She would not mind her sister's knowledge of first aid either.

"Alice, you'll never bel—" Her rant halted on her tongue when she beheld the sight of her sister. Suddenly, she knew the roles were reversed. It was Alice who needed her to soothe and calm. Bella's qualms with Jacob would have to wait.

She sat on the edge of her bed with her back to Bella. Her head was bowed slightly and her delicate shoulders slumped forward in a posture that was unbecoming. Bella stood in the doorway, watching Alice knit her spindly fingers together again and again. Most disturbing of all, Alice was in sweatpants. Gray sweatpants. And a lumpy sweater she kept in the back of her closet because she did not have the heart to throw it away.

If asked how long she stood there staring at her broken sister, Bella would not have been able to say. Every second of silence throbbed painfully for them both. Bella was certain Alice was aware of her presence but she remained slumped, knitting her fingers together in silence. When the hush was too much for Bella to stand, she gently cleared her throat. Alice reluctantly turned to face her sister. Her pretty eyes were puffy around the rims and the whites of her eyes were bloodshot, as if she had been crying. A weak smile tugged up on the corners of Alice's mouth; it looked almost painful.

"Oh, Alice," Bella breathed. Her sister's lower lip began to quiver. The sight was more than Bella could stand. In three long strides, she crossed the room and enveloped her sister in her embrace. The careful façade that Alice struggled to maintain came crashing down and the tears flowed freely. Together they rocked back and forth gently, Alice crying her silent tears and Bella shushing her and stroking her hair in a motherly fashion.

"You were wrong," Alice choked when her tears were nearly dry.

Bella froze and pulled away from her sister to scrutinize her expression. There was pain etched into the plains of Alice's face. There was sorrow glistening behind her blue eyes. There was a hollow quality ghosting behind the shell of her face. However, there was nothing in her expression that would clarify her meaning, nothing to explain why such agony tormented her. Finally, Bella decided it best to ask.

"What do you mean?"

Alice glared up at the ceiling, willing the tears to stay behind their dam. She wiped the excess away and reached for her purse. Bella watched her with confused eyes. "Alice?" she asked gently when her sister pulled out her phone and began going through her text messages.

Without a word, she handed her sister the tiny object. Bella quirked a brow but took the phone willingly enough. She turned her attention to the message on the screen and then suddenly wished she had not. Her gaze returned to Alice's face, which was now an impressively passive mask. No words passed between the two. Bella's hand tentatively reached out to her sister who took it gratefully.

It was not in Alice Swan's nature to succumb to aggression. To do so would be to place blame elsewhere. However unrighteous it was, she only blamed herself. Bella was not so foolish. She saw where the blame fell and she hoped that her hand would heal quickly.

She felt certain that she would need her right hook again very soon.


End file.
